"Well aren't you lucky to have decisions."

Everyone came back to work the day after New Year's, which surprised Peggy when she walked in. Ginsberg approached her right at the door, causing her to jump when she turned around.

"What are you doing here?" she managed, after swallowing back the shriek that had threatened to escape.

"What do you mean, what am I doing here? Didn't you get Cutler's memo about coming in today?" Ginsberg adjusted his stance. "Why, were you expecting to come in by yourself today? What were you going to be doing here?"

Peggy tightened her grip on the folder she had been carrying in.

"I was just planning on catching up with my work."

Ginsberg folded his arms. "The accounts? That's why we're all here, too. There's been problems trying to manage everything. Sunkist is starting to fall through, and Hershey's is turning out to be a little much for everyone to handle during the fallout around here. And don't mention Chevy around Roger unless you want to see him keel over."

Peggy frowned. "I didn't think it was that bad," she challenged.

Ginsberg stepped back, opening his arms to gesture for her to continue into the office.

"See for yourself."

Peggy wandered down the hall, to discover that hardly any of the secretaries were there. The only people she had seen by the time she got to her office were the creative team. They were all hunched over work in deep concentration, something rare in that department. Part of her wanted to check in on them, but when she set down her things, she decided it was probably best for her to pay a visit to the partners.

However, as soon as she cut the corner to the conference room she saw Ted in his signature turtleneck and suit jacket, sporting the start of a tan on what little skin was showing. Peggy's breath caught in her throat and she backed up slowly, but not inconspicuous enough to keep from catching his glance.

Their eyes met and she saw his expression register with a small amount of shock. Peggy retreated more, feeling every muscle in her body tighten in the process. She didn't realize she was moving until she knocked straight into Ken.

"Peggy?"

She turned around and Ken grabbed her by the shoulder as she blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears.

"Are you okay?"

Peggy shook her head and started to hurry down the hall just as she heard the conference door open.

"I know things are bad around here," she heard Ken yell after her. "But there's no need to panic!"

Peggy hurried into her office and grabbed her purse, knocking over a few things on her desk in the process. She then raced out of the office and smashed the elevator button repeatedly.

But Ted was too fast. The door to Sterling Cooper & Partners swung open well before the elevator ever had a chance to get to her. Peggy turned on her heel to head towards the stairs, but Ted had grabbed a hold of her arm before she could get anywhere.

"Let go of me," she hissed, trying to pull free of his grasp.

"We need to talk," he insisted, tightening his hold until she finally stopped squirming and turned to look at him scornfully.

"What are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in California, patching things up with your wife?" Peggy could feel her pulse in her ears as she watched the muscles in Ted's jaw tighten.

"Things aren't going as smoothly as we thought they would. I came back to help iron out some kinks." Part of her hoped he was also referring to his marriage.

"Then shouldn't you be in there with all them doing that?" She gestured towards the office doors with a quick flick of her hand.

"I was, but then…" Ted trailed off and sighed. "Are you okay, Peggy?"

She wanted to roll her eyes, but instead she could feel them start to sting in anticipation for a good cry. She looked away. She was tired of answering that question lately.

"I'd be fine if I could leave. Apparently, I was kept in the dark about whatever shit storm is brewing this week, so I don't think I'm needed here, right?"

"Cutler decided not to tell you. He said you seemed to be… suffering from the stress lately."

Peggy's eyes found their ability to roll again. She didn't peg Cutler as the type to gossip, but then again, she had caught him spying on sex so she supposed she couldn't be all that surprised with his actions anymore.

"I think I was allowed to be scared before the Hershey's meeting, considering what happened the last time they were here."

Ted nodded, though his eyebrows were still knit.

"I told them I needed air." He said as Peggy looked down, realizing he had his coat hung over his forearm. "Can we go get coffee or something? I don't want to be here, but we need to discuss the recent changes."

Peggy pursed her lips. She didn't want to be there either, and despite how angry she was with Ted, he still felt familiar. She decided it was her hormones that made her nod in response, and perhaps her sudden craving for some carbs.

"We're only discussing accounts," she reminded him when they stood next to each other in the elevator. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and could see him smile.

They ended up at diner 8 blocks away because Ted said he had missed it since he'd been gone. Because of the lengthy walk, Ted had insisted Peggy wear his coat when she shook from the January chill. Hershey's took up most of their discussion over stacks of pancakes and orange juice in a corner booth. Peggy made sure to tuck her feet underneath her as best as she could so that there would be no chance of touching him.

He glanced at his watch as they were ending their talk about target audiences.

"It's already noon," he said, his eyebrows rising almost comically. He flagged down the waitress for the check. But as the waitress came by, Peggy intercepted it.

Ted opened his mouth but Peggy cut him off with a single determined look. He put his hands up in front of him in response and grinned. Peggy concentrated on retrieving her wallet to keep herself from doing the same.

As they left the diner together with Ted in front, he halted at the door. Peggy frowned and glanced around him to see what he was looking at. While they'd been eating a blanket of snow had covered the sidewalk, an inch or two now built up. Ted glanced down at her shoes.

"We're getting a cab," he insisted.

Peggy followed him with reluctance, though as soon as she took a few steps outside and the snow seeped into her heels, she was happy he was taking charge. They climbed into the backseat of a cab after a few moments, and she spent the time he took telling the driver the office's address to brush the snow that had collected on her shoulders off.

"You missed some," Ted told her, reaching out and brushing some off of her hair. His hand paused, his fingertips resting on her scalp. They stared at each other in shock. Peggy felt a burning in her stomach as Ted pulled away quickly, holding his hand with the other in his lap.

"Here's good," she said loudly to the driver despite the fact that they'd only moved a block.

The cab jolted to a stop and she jumped out before she could get confused glances from either of the male occupants. Peggy scanned the sidewalk, and spotted an alleyway next to an apartment building a few feet to her left. She ran for it, not stopping until she was behind a pile of cardboard boxes, leaning over the pavement with one hand propped against the cold bricking of the building.

Ted's footsteps came as she was breathing heavily, trying to quell the sick feeling in her stomach.

"Peggy?" She stared at what she could see of her feet and noticed her stockings soaking through from the snow.

"Did I upset you?" She could now see the tips of his shoes in her peripheral. "What happened?"

She shook her head as best she could, knowing that too much movement would surely cause her to lose control of her queasiness.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she managed through shaky breaths.

"Do you want some privacy?" he asked after a few moments, during which she could feel her face pale. She shut her eyes tight and nodded.

"Okay. I'll be right over there if you need anything."

Peggy didn't look to see where he was gesturing and instead focused on breathing in time to the blaring horns on the street nearby. After what she supposed were a handful of minutes, she felt better enough to stand. The small victory over her nausea was enough to build the courage required to find Ted again. She turned and saw him, leaning against the wall right near where they had entered, drawing circles in the snow with his toes. She approached him slowly.

"Feeling better?"

She lamely shrugged her shoulders.

"Was it…" he trailed off, and she could see him turn red. He looked down at his feet for a moment before looking back up at her. "Touching you didn't do that, did it?"

Peggy sighed. He looked genuinely upset. She shook her head, her damp hair sticking to her neck.

"Maybe you should take some time off, too," he suggested.

"Oh, so you're going to basically fire me along with Don just because of what you and everyone else is misinterpreting as stress?"

"We didn't fire Don."

"He doesn't have a return date," Peggy challenged, folding her arms over her stomach which was starting to churn again. Ted shifted his stance.

"What is it then? Is it because of what happened…" Ted paused to breathe. "Between us?"

"Yes." Her voice was small and wavering. She hadn't planned on telling him yet, but the word escaped before she had time to decide on a reply.

Ted looked as if he'd been kicked in the gut. Peggy felt a split second of satisfaction, knowing that he felt guilty.

"Look, Peggy," Ted rubbed at his chin and Peggy felt herself stiffen at the idea of some consolation speech. She took the three steps required to break the distance between the two of them and then gingerly took the hand that wasn't rubbing at his chin with both of hers. She guided it carefully to her abdomen and closed her eyes as she pressed his hand flat against the fabric. She could feel the jolt that coursed through her veins from the warmth of his hand, and tried to tell herself that the burning sensation in her stomach was anger.

Ted stared at her wide eyed as she took his hand. But after she opened her eyes, his face registered with shock and he pulled his hand back as if it'd been placed on a burning stove. He stumbled back a step, staring directly at her stomach.

"It's…" Ted seemed to lose his ability to talk, and only gestured toward himself.

Peggy nodded.

She felt her heart drop when Ted stared at the sky and then dragged both of his hands down his face. Peggy's chin trembled when he finally looked back at her, his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm keeping it," she told him with a wavering voice. She hadn't quite decided on anything, but the thought of giving another baby up made her squeamish.

Ted nodded and Peggy watched as a single tear tracked down his cheek.

"How long have you known?"

"Four days? I think?" Peggy sighed. "I can't keep track of what day it is."

"I don't…" he started, dragging a hand down his face to wipe away the moisture. "I… Oh God, I have to tell Nan."

Peggy felt herself pale as she watched Ted rest both of his hands on the top of his head as he paced, staring up at the snow as it hit his face.

"I think I might throw up, too," he said, stopping his pacing. She watched him place a hand on his mouth and breathe deeply. He then pulled his hand away throwing it in her direction as he suddenly looked angry. "Going away was supposed to be a clean break!"

Peggy backed up when he started to yell.

"I was supposed to forget that any of this ever happened! I was supposed to be able to fix my marriage. And now…" Ted trailed off to gesture haphazardly at her stomach.

Peggy's face crumpled. Ted frowned in response as she started to shamelessly cry in the alleyway.

"Oh Peggy," he murmured, taking a step towards her, but she turned away.

"I'm so sorry," he said, and she could hear his voice crack. She glanced back at him to see that he was crying again.

Desperate to feel some sort of contact, Peggy broke the distance between them, settling into Ted's careful embrace. She wasn't sure how long they stood there in the first snow of the new year, crying where no one would notice them as they rushed by.