A/N: As always, thanks for all feedback and support. I am nearing the end of this story (writing it anyway), and everything should be up here by Christmas, if not sooner.

The abrasive ringing of the phone made Betty cringe. She attempted to wriggle out from under Don's embrace without waking him. Betty blindly reached for the receiver, her eyes still closed. "Hello?" she moaned.

"Birdie – hang up," Don moaned, grabbing the sheets in an effort to pull her closer to him.

"What?" Betty asked into the phone, placing her feet on the ground. "When did this happen?" A wave of panic washed over her body; Betty gripped the phone for dear life.

"Betts?" Don was no longer asleep.

Betty pushed Don's arm away and stood up. "We'll come out as soon as we can. Thank-you for telling us." Betty listened intently nodding her head and scribbling down notes on an old newspaper article sitting on the table. "Bye."

Betty slowly returned the phone to the base. "Don." Betty could feel the color drain from her face, her fingers beginning to shake. There were two pieces of news to share with her husband; two pieces that were connected to each other, both unpleasant.

Don joined Betty on her side of the bed, gently helping her sit on the mattress. "Who was that?"

"I don't know where to begin," Betty said softly.

Don's furrowed his brow. "The last time you said to me was when you told me you didn't love me anymore."

Betty let out a staggered breath. "I'm sorry."

Don wrapped his arms around his wife. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

Betty turned to face her husband. "Promise me you'll always love me."

"You know I do."

Betty nodded her head, knowing which piece of news to share first. "No matter what. I need to hear you say it."

Don took Betty's hand in his. "I promise to love you no matter what."

"Do you remember when I went to California after Thanksgiving?"

"For your sorority reunion."

"There was no reunion."

"What were you doing in California then?"

"I saw Anna." Betty looked straight into her husband's eyes, conjuring up as much courage as she could.

"Anna?" Don shook his head. "Anna who?"

"Your Anna," Betty murmured.

"What?" Don asked bewildered, releasing her from his embrace. "How could you possibly know Anna?"

"I – I took the address from your box and I went down there with Gene."

"You had no right to dig through my private life," Don said slowly, standing up.

"I thought it was our life," Betty stammered.

"If I wanted you to meet Anna, I would have taken you to her myself!"

"You kept her a secret for nine years – I never would have met her if I hadn't of opened your drawer," Betty shot back.

"I need a drink," Don muttered, walking down the hall.

"Don…" Betty called after him to no avail. He didn't know the worst part of the news yet. Betty reached for her robe, electing to pause by the nursery before going downstairs. Seeing Gene peaceful and asleep brought her no comfort at the moment.

"Don," Betty called out, coming into the kitchen. "You need to hear this."

Don pounded his glass onto the table, grabbing the whiskey bottle and pouring a generous second portion for himself. "Haven't I heard enough? How could there possibly be more?"

Betty took a seat at the kitchen table. "That phone call was from Stephanie – Anna's niece…"

"I know who she is!" Don interrupted, his rage showing.

"Anna's sick, she's in the hospital."

Don's rage slowly morphed into horror. He knew about her previous health issues, but did not know the severity of her current state. "What does she have?" Don asked in a low voice.

"Cancer." Betty grabbed the bottle before Don could take a third helping.

Don cursed under his breath, swallowing the rest of his liquid. He gestured to Betty to hand him the bottle, but she shook her head. "How far along is she?"

"Stephanie didn't go into great detail," Betty answered softly. "All she said was that it was urgent."

"Did you know?" Don asked, standing up.

"Know what?"

"That she had cancer?" Don was now standing, towering over her.

Betty shrunk back. "Don…"

"Answer me!"

Betty found herself walking backwards. "I knew."

"And you said nothing!" Don roared, anger back in full force.

Betty opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Gene's cries. "You woke the baby," Betty muttered, turning back to the stairway.

Betty turned on the night light and lifted her son into her arms.

Don's shadow from the hallway was cast into the nursery. "We're not done here."

Betty placed a finger to her lips, pleading with him to be quiet. "I know that."

Don braced his body against the wall, refusing to come into the lit room.

"She didn't want you to know."

"Apparently neither did you," Don countered.

Betty placed Gene back in his crib. "I can call Francine and have her take the kids for the next couple days."

Don shook his head. "You are not coming to California with me."

A small line formed on Betty's mouth. "You shouldn't be going alone, and I'd like to see Anna again."

"Because you two became so close in the one week you knew each other?" Don shot back sarcastically.

Betty let out a heavy sigh. She knew it was his anger and fear talking, but that didn't make it any easier to hear. "I'm going to pack and call the airlines and make arrangements. Why don't you go lie down?"

Too furious to argue, Don stormed down the hall, leaving a weary Betty in his wake.

Betty didn't have time to placate her husband, to explain why she needed to go down to meet Anna Draper in the first place. There was too much work to be done.