Author's Notes: Thank you for your reviews, Scarlett88 and arenee77. I was wondering if anyone else thought of Peggy during that scene! Matt Weiner was talking about how Don had called the 'three most important women in his life' (the idea relayed by Ted many moons ago) and I thought 'Damn, it seems like the perfect set-up!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

"I hate working on Coke." Stan admitted, taking a drag of his joint. Peggy cuddled into his side closer, stroking the hair on his chest.

"That seems like it would be amazing. I'm jealous." Peggy replied. Stan shook his head.

"They're such stickler pricks. Everything gets sent back twenty times. The last time it was because they wanted the blue in the advertisement to be yellow tinged instead of orange tinged."

"You don't get to be one of the biggest companies in the world by letting people do whatever the hell they want with your product." Stan squinted at Peggy.

"You're right, you'd love being on the account." Peggy laid her arm across his chest, feeling nervous as she spoke.

"I saw Don today." Stan chuckled.

"I heard rumours he had finally showed up. I heard that he told Hobart to go fuck himself and then threw that cactus that Pete gave you at him." Peggy frowned.

"No, the cactus is safe."

"As safe as it is with Peggy Olson." Stan teased. Peggy gave a small, fake smile and swallowed hard.

"We went out for lunch."

"Oh?" He asked, amused. "Did hell tell you where he had gone?"

"A little bit. He just said that he had been across the country." Her boyfriend frowned, looking down at the top of Peggy's head.

"Pegs, did something...happen? You're usually not this clingy. I mean, I like it, but it's kinda weird." She let out the breath that she hadn't known she was holding, and looked down at his right kidney.

"Don asked for a favour."

"Please tell me he asked for money."

"No." Peggy shook her head. "It's... complicated. He said that Betty, his first wife, is dying of cancer, and that when she goes, she won't let him have the kids because they need a mother."

"Shit." Stan said. "That is harsh."

"Yes. Yes it is. Cruel, almost." There was a silence, and Stan simply waited, taking another hit while he waited for Peggy to find the gumption. "He asked me to pretend to be his fiancee so that Betty would let him have the kids." Stan suddenly stopped breathing, and Peggy was too afraid to look up. "Stan?"

"Well, you told him to go fuck himself, right?"

"I... I told him that I would think about it." Stan still wasn't moving, and Peggy took the chance to look up at him. He looked... constipated.

"Look Peggy, I can't really get too angry while I'm smoking. But seriously? How long does he want you to do this for?"

"About 15 months." She replied.

"15 months? Seriously? We've dated for, what, a month, and you're going to run off and get engaged to another man? You have an apartment you are responsible for, and everyone already knows we're dating at McCann, so how is that going to play out?"

"I was thinking that we don't have to tell anyone. It's a lie for Don and his family. He doesn't have any friends from work, so it's not like anyone is going to cross-check my dating life." Stan crooked his head to one side.

"You've been thinking about it? Jesus Christ Peggy, after all that man has done to you, why would you even waste the brain space?"

"You don't understand." She replied evenly.

"Obviously not." He retorted. Peggy returned her gaze to his kidney, and traced small patterns on his side.

"Don has given me everything." She finally said. "When I had my child... well, it wasn't pretty. I didn't even know I was pregnant until I went to the doctor because I was feeling sick, and it turned out I was in labour. I thought I was just getting fat. They put me in a psychiatric holding area for months, and just constantly drugged me up. The only people that visited me were my mother and sister. And then, one day, Don showed up. He said he had been concerned, and my mother had told him I had TB. He still came. And at that point, I didn't know what life would be like when I got out. He had just made me a copywriter, literally the day I went into labour. I didn't think I'd have a job. And he said to me 'You'll be amazed at how much it never happened'. And so I got out and went on with my life." Stan snorted.

"So what I hear is that Don finds this gem of a copywriter, she goes missing for months, and he finally scratches his head and says 'Hey, there's one less set of tits in the office.' He then visits you for five minutes with some Draper-inspired bullshit about how you should ignore everything that isn't work and get back to pumping out ads for him, and suddenly you owe him 15 months of your life?" Peggy felt tears prickle at the corner of her eyes.

"Stan, it's just so much more complicated than that." She said finally.

"No Peggy, it really isn't." He stated, colour starting to rise in his voice.

"He made me a copywriter, Stan. He held my job for me while I was in a looney bin for four months! Who else would have done that for an unproven copywriter, especially a woman?"

"So he does everything in his power to manipulate you to work for him, and then kicks you every time he's having a bad day, and then asks you to do this because he was sooooo nice to take five minutes out of his day to think of someone else for a change, because he was too goddamn lazy to hire another copywriter? He's a cad, and he'll always be one." In that moment, Peggy made her decision.

"If he hadn't done everything he has done for me, we wouldn't have met. I wouldn't own my apartment building, or be able to help out my mother like I do. I am doing this." She felt Stan's breath catch.

"Peggy..." he trailed off slowly, sounding wounded. She immediately felt bad, but knew she would feel worse if she backed out of her decision.

"It will only be 15 months." She replied softly, kissing his side. "Don will get his kids, I will have paid back my debt, and everything will be even. Plus, he said he would buy me my own apartment after it was over."

"But you already have an entire building." He replied. "We're in it right now." Peggy shrugged.

"I'll make him buy me something else. Maybe he could foot the bill for a long, romantic European vacation?" Stan's body was still tense, and Peggy bolding kissed her way up to his chest, and rolled on top of him, her eyes inviting him to play. "We could spent a month in Italy... drinking the finest wines, staying at the best hotels..." He sadly gazed back at her as he stroked the side of her face, and he knew that he had lost the battle.

"I've always wanted to go to Rome." He said softly.

That night, Don was running through his options. To be honest, he hadn't considered the possibility of Peggy saying no. He had just felt this gut instinct that she would say yes because he had asked. Now that was gone, and he didn't know what to do. He was tempted to go out, charm some beautiful woman at a bar, and fake being so in love with her that he would propose a few dates in. That left him with a bad taste in his mouth, however. This mystery woman would be around his children. He couldn't gamble with some unknown element this time.

The phone rang, and Don checked his watch. 10pm. He hoped it wasn't Roger again.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Don, it's Peggy." Don stiffened and held his breath.

"Yes?" There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"I thought it over. I'll do it." Don was speechless.

"Peggy, I... I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you, Don."

"Isn't that what the money is for?" He heard Peggy sigh in disgust on the other end of the line.

"If you don't say 'thank you' I am out of this right now!" She warned. He smiled and looked at the floor.

"The word isn't big or sincere enough, but thank you, Peggy."

"Now," he heard the sounds of her taking a drag of a cigarette. "You understand I can't promise results? We could go through all of this and Betty could still not give you the kids."

"I know. That could happen. But if this was real, I couldn't find a better mother for my children, and I know that Betty will see that in you as well." Peggy went quiet, and Don let the moment hang in the air. Finally, he said "When do you have an evening free?'"

"Uhhh..." He heard the found of her flipping through her day planner. "This is Tuesday... I'm available Thursday after work. Why?"

"We need to go ring shopping." He replied evenly.

"Oh." Once again she went quiet. "That's... awkward. Can't you just pick something out for me and bring it to me?" Don rolled his eyes.

"Do you know your ring size?" He asked.

"Ummm... a 10?"

"Peggy, that is my ring size. Besides, you should be there to pick it out. You're going to keep it after all this is done, make it something you'd want to buy for yourself. Beside, as a general rule, you want the woman to pick out the piece. Once I bought a wrong necklace for Betty, and she made me sleep on the couch for a week." Peggy snorted.

"OK. Where and when do you want to meet?"

"Tiffany's, at 5:30. Make sure you get off of work on time. We can go out for dinner after and discuss the details of our arrangement." Peggy paused.

"Don... that is going to be expensive. I mean, not 'divorced twice' expensive, but pricey for a 15-month engagement."

"We could go to a department store and pick something out, but the ruse is going to look bad if I'm seen to be cheap towards you. Betty knows quality jewellery, I assure you." Peggy was quiet, and her discomfort was loud in the silence. Don sighed, irritated. "Peggy, the money I spend at Tiffany's is nothing to me. I've spent more on a night out and not noticed it in the morning. I don't need the money, I need you, and I need this to work." He heard her exhale loudly.

"OK. I will see you tomorrow then."

Preview for next chapter: Don calls Betty, Peggy goes ring shopping, and Stan isn't happy.