Author's Note: Letostag, I love their relationship too. Thank God for fan fiction!

"Hello Peggy." Joan smiled as she dunked her tea bag into her mug. Peggy smiled back.

"Hello Joan."

"Come to my office, we need to talk about the Ciba account." The redhead turned on her heel, and Peggy followed her into her office, where Joan closed the door and turned to her, her face bright with a conspiratory smile. "I want you to tell me all about your romantic night. The entire office was buzzing about it." Peggy frowned.

"How does everyone know?"

"Please Peggy. Everyone could see how that man from Ciba was glowing at you, and you know how quickly gossip runs around this place." Peggy nodded, relieved that she wasn't talking about Don. Of course she wasn't.

"Right. Well, it was nice." Joan raised her eyebrow.

"That's it? He was nice?"

"I really liked him." Peggy replied. "But I told him I wasn't really looking for anything serious." Joan's face fell as she sighed as she put her mug down on her desk, and looked at her coworker through hooded eyes.

"Peggy. You're not getting any younger, and to speak honestly, I am sick and tired of seeing you live at this office. You deserve some man who is rich, kind, good with kids and available. You can't stay married to your work. It doesn't keep you warm at night." Peggy nodded again.

"I know. I just... I hate dating. I suck at it. I don't have your natural charm. I just feel more comfortable at work."

"No one ever went anywhere by staying in their comfort zone, Peggy." The brunette sighed.

"You're right. You're always right Joan." Joan smiled.

"Of course I am. Now, did you at least have one night of unbridled passion?" Peggy laughed.

"Joan! No, he's a good Ohio boy. He didn't even try." Joan shook her head sadly.

"You need someone with a bit more spine than that. I think after work we need to go shopping and get you a good set of dating clothes. Just some dresses that spark the imagination a little more than what you wear to the office."

"I'd like that."

"You are going to be off the clock by 5, and we are going to head down to Saks." The brunette nodded, smiling widely.

"Alright. I'll see you then."


When Peggy entered her office, Stan was waiting on the couch for her.

"What are you doing here so early?" She asked, taking off her coat.

"I'm waiting to see how your big date went." Peggy sighed and sat down in her office chair.

"Why is everyone so concerned with my love life all of the sudden?"

"C'mon Peggy. We're interested because we want to see you happy. I mean, I know things get crazy and bitchy around here, but at the end of the day, everyone is rooting for you, in everything you do." He shot a look at the door. "Besides, Joan's not getting any flowers lately, so we can't gossip about her."

"It went fine, Stan." She looked through her drawers, trying to find the ad for Chevalier she had worked on. Remembering something, she looked up and asked "How about you and your new girlfriend?" Stan snorted.

"She's hardly new, Pegs. But we're doing well. I think we're going to move in together."

"Invite me to the housewarming." She instructed.

"You are first on the list, which is fortunate because you will be hosting it yourself."


"So, the winter campaign for Chevalier Blanc is hitting TV hard, as per usual." Peggy was anxiously fiddling around with storyboards as Don watched her, and she felt self-conscious in front of his appraising eye. She dropped a board and blushed, and Stan rushed over to pick it up. As he handed it off to her, he gave her an intense, encouraging stare that said 'Don't let him intimidate you'. She swallowed and put the storyboard back on the stand. "This man will be going to a Christmas party. It's snowing outside, it's dark but lit with softly glowing Christmas lights. An attractive woman opens the door, and they smile at each other. She motions to him to hand her his coat, and he does so and then is called to another part of the house by a friend. This hostess hugs the coat and brings the collar up to smell it, while glancing at her guest. The tagline is 'The mark of a man'."

"That's good." Don said simply. "We'll go in that direction." John, Stan and Peggy stared at him, not sure what to say.

"Uuuhhh... thanks?" Peggy finally asked weakly. The 30 second meeting seemed unusually productive for Don Draper.

"Put out the casting call and let me know when auditions are." Don said, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"Shouldn't this get greenlit by McCann first?" John asked. Don exhaled slowly.

"We're trying a new approach. It's called the 'It's better to ask forgiveness than beg permission' method of negotiation. So let me worry about it." All three members of the team continued to stare.

"You can go." Don offered. "But Peggy, a moment." John immediately got up and went out the door, but Stan stayed where he was, eyeing Don suspiciously. Don shot Peggy a questioning look, then turned his gaze to the artistic director.

"Is there a problem, Stan?" He asked.

"Are you going to create one, Draper?" He asked. Peggy's eyes went wide, and she looked anxiously between the two men.

"Stan, it's alright, I don't-"

"Peggy, let the men handle this one." He replied, not taking his eyes off of Don. The raven haired man looked confused and irritated as he checked his watch.

"What is your issue?" He asked.

"My issue is that the last time the three of us were in a room together, you called Peggy a whore. God only knows what you say to her when you don't have an audience, so I thought I would babysit for a while." Stan grinned angrily. Don looked surprised. He had genuinely forgotten about the incident already, and as always had underestimated the impact it had on the office. He looked down at his hand, which was toying with the dying embers of his cigarette.

"You're right." He said finally, looking up at both of them. "Peggy, it was inappropriate to say that to you, and not only because we had an audience. I am sorry." Stan looked at Peggy, silently asking if that was enough.

"Thanks Don. Apology accepted." She said quickly, and gave a large, fake smile, mostly for Stan's benefit. Stan didn't look like he was convinced of anything, and sat for a moment, looking between the two creative minds, like he had caught a whiff of something and was trying to figure out where the scent was coming from.

"Alright then." Stan got up, and grabbed a couple of storyboards. Before leaving, he shot a warning stare at Don. His boss nodded at him, and Stan left the office, closing the door behind him.

"Well." Don said, raising his eyes. "You have quite the protector." Peggy smiled genuinely this time.

"Stan has always looked out for me." She replied. Don nodded, gazing at her softly.

"In a brotherly way, I assume?" She scowled.

"Don, not this again. He cares about me, in a completely platonic way. He's a friend."

"I just like the idea of someone looking out for you." He said sincerely. Peggy smirked.

"I thought you said that you never worry about me."

"I don't. But everyone needs a hand once in a while." He walked over to her, and wrapped his hands loosely around her waist, looking down with hooded eyes. "I want to go out with you tonight."

"Oh." She replied, her heart beating faster. "I'm supposed to be going shopping with Joan after work."

"We can go out after that. Meet me at 8pm at the Roosevelt hotel." Peggy smiled questioningly.

"Don, we both live alone. We don't have to go to a hotel to-"

"It's not about sex, Peggy. I had other ideas in mind." He replied.

"Oh. Well, OK then."

"But if you wanted to slip into some new dress you bought, I wouldn't say no..." he trailed off. Peggy smiled and playfully hit his bicep.

"We'll see how nice you are to me." She challenged as she slipped out of his embrace. Don raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"This will be the best work day of your life."


"No." Joan shook her head as Peggy came out of the dressing room. "Girls like us weren't meant to wear the Twiggy look. Don't try on items that aren't tapered at the waist."

"Yes, mistress Joan." Peggy sighed. Her coworker shot her a look.

"Shopping is an art, Peggy. One that you need to learn." Peggy frowned, looking a little hurt.

"I didn't think I was that bad."

"You've improved." Joan admitted. "We're just bringing you into line with the professionals." Peggy went back into the dressing room and slipped into another dress, and went back out for Joan's approval. The redhead's eyes lit up and her lips curled into a smile. "That is the one."

"Good, because it's the only one left in there."

"Then it was meant to be." Joan put out her cigarette and got up. "Take that one, and the pink one with the belt, and let's go and grab some dinner."

"I have some plans." Peggy replied as she went back into the dressing room and started to redress herself.

"Ooooo. Well, maybe you should wear that one out of here then." Joan teased.

"It's not like... well, it's a little like that. I think."

"Who are you seeing?" Joan asked in a sing-song voice.

"A guy." She answered flatly. "I don't know. We're... testing the waters, I guess."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing more wrong than with most men." Peggy came out of the dressing room with the two dresses slung over her arm.

"Does he happen to be from the office?" The buxom woman asked innocently. Peggy winced.

"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to." Joan smiled knowingly.

"So, after a fabulous evening of shopping, you are leaving me to dine on my own so you can date some of the scum from the office pool?" Peggy smiled and shook her head exasperatedly.

"I don't think you ever need to be alone if you don't want to, Joan." The redhead smiled coquettishly.

"True."

"Speaking about my love life, how is yours? Usually you get flowers at least once a month, and I haven't seen any lately."

"Usually I get flowers once a week, and maybe you would notice more often if you spent time in places other than your office and Don's." Peggy blushed lightly as they took their clothes to the register. "But if you must know, I am seeing a banker."

"Is he boring?"

"Incredibly." Joan smiled. "But the dinners he buys are amazing. I am going to milk this one out a little bit. He promised me a trip to Wyoming."

"Jesus Joan." They both laughed as the cashiers rang them up, and exited Saks.

"Well, enjoy your date." Joan said flirtatiously. "And I want a full report tomorrow. And it has to be better than 'It was nice'."

"It'll be a raunchy novel that will make even you blush."

"I am looking forward to it, as long as you don't tell me which one you did it with." Joan leaned forward and kissed Peggy on both cheeks. The brunette stared as the taller woman pulled away, looking uncomfortable. "I'm practicing for my exotic trip." She winked, and turned down the street and walked away. Peggy smiled and shook her head. Eyeing the darkened streets, she checked her watch. Perfect. It was 7:45.