Dr. Lanie Parish sighed as she walked into the morgue and turned on the lights. She knew she was in for a long day. She had four separate autopsies that had piled up, and that was assuming she didn't get any new bodies today, an assumption which unfortunately was never safe to make.

Well, at least I've got little Castle to make things a bit more fun, Lanie comforted herself as she hung up her coat before moving towards her desk to get her daily routine started. Lanie loved having Alexis here for the girl's internship. Castle's daughter was smart, funny, and a hard worker, and the fact that she wanted to intern with Lanie meant so much to her given the reaction many people had to her chosen profession. And the job seemed to be great for Alexis as well, she had been so emphatic in telling Lanie how much she'd learned. Although she probably could've done well not learning some things, if I'd ever heard anyone say about my dad what she heard from Beckett during that classified case last week I'd have ran from the room and never come back.

As Lanie finished chuckling to herself at the memory of the looks on all three members of the Castle mini-family (though Kate would probably kill her if she heard that thought despite the state of their relationship), she noticed something out of place on her desk out of the corner of her eye. Focusing more on it, Lanie was stunned to see a flower on top of three boxes, each one with a perfectly crafted bow on top. Lanie couldn't imagine who would've sent it or for what occasion (she pointedly did not think about a certain Latino detective). She briefly entertained the notion that it had gone to the wrong person, but that was quashed quickly by the sight of her name on the card sitting underneath the deliciously fragrant rose.

Lanie picked up the card and turned it around, seeing a tiny note stuck to it telling her to open the gifts first. Shrugging, Lanie picked up the first box and lifted the lid, only to find possibly the strangest present she'd ever seen. A wad of cash? Who sends that in a box? Even more mystified, Lanie opened the second box, finding an all-expenses paid certificate for a weekend at the spa she'd tried to drag Kate to last year, usable at any point for a whole year. Finding this a little easier to understand but not particularly enlightening, especially since this wasn't exactly the cheapest present on the planet, she moved on to the last box. She gasped as she saw a gorgeous gold bracelet sized to her wrist perfectly. Lanie was stunned at the expensive gift, she wasn't even in a relationship, and it wasn't her birthday. Why would someone get her such an elaborate present just out of the blue? She stared down at the beautiful piece of jewelry for a good ten seconds before turning to the card in hopes of solving the mystery of just who had done this for her.

Dear Lanie,

You once told me that when someone owed you something you'd take payment in spa certificates, jewelry, and cash. Well Lanie, I'm pretty sure I owe you something. One year ago today you were there for me as a true friend when I really needed someone, and you went on to comfort me by getting me the most perfect gift I've ever received, one I never intend to let go of. This is my modest attempt to express some small amount of my appreciation for how you changed my life that day. Our anniversary is now an extra anniversary for you too. You truly are one of the best friends I've ever had, and I can never thank you enough for what you did that day.

You friend forever,

Richard Castle

Lanie was tearing up by the end of the letter, remembering both what she'd joked to Castle when he'd asked her to autopsy a talk show host who seemed to have died of natural causes as well as that day last year.

Kate's lucky she got to Castle when she did, or I might have stolen him first. He remembered that sarcastic line two years later and spent this much money to thank me for his girlfriend. How someone could have ever felt that man wasn't enough to love is beyond me.

Lanie looked back over the letter through her watery eyes, this time noticing a post script.

P.S. This is on your desk so you'd notice first thing in the morning. If you want to see the proposal be upstairs in ten minutes.

Sorry Mr. Dolson, your autopsy will have to wait, Lanie thought to herself first corpse as she high-tailed it out of the morgue with a squeal. She wasn't missing this for the world.