Thanks for the reviews, they are really appreciated! Sorry the update took a little longer than usual. Here's the next chapter, please let me know what you think!

Chapter 24 Promises to Keep

After dinner that night, Peyton decided to go and visit Haley and Megan. Winifred and Jenny went with her since they were old enough to be allowed into the hospital for visiting hours. Gretchen was less than pleased when her mother left without her but she calmed down relatively quickly after Lucas started giving her chocolate chip cookies. Once she was seemingly happy, he carried her into the downstairs playroom and put her down next to the couch where Ashton was sitting, reading Superfudge. "Keep an eye on your sister, okay buddy?"

"Okay," Ashton answered absently, barely looking over at the smiling baby. She happily grabbed at a toy that had been sitting on the floor and began banging it against the sofa legs, making a noise that apparently pleased her because she started to giggle. Lucas grinned, shook his head, and started back up the stairs to Ryan's room. He wanted to talk to his son before Peyton returned. He gathered that the little boy was not terribly happy with his mother but that was no excuse for him to upset the already agitated woman. He knocked on his son's door but was not terribly surprised to receive absolutely no answer. Opening the door slowly, he peaked inside to find Ryan sitting at his desk with his headphones on, listening to something with an extremely loud bass and sketching at something with hard, angry strokes. Lucas recognized that type of drawing all too well. He entered the room and pulled the headphones off his son's ears, gaining immediate disproval from the grumpy and brooding nine year old.

"I knocked," Lucas defended himself immediately. Ryan shrugged and turned off the personal CD player.

"Didn't hear," Ryan answered shortly.

"I noticed. Is something wrong?"

"No. I'm just drawing."

"Is your homework done?"

"Yeah." The conversation was going nowhere and Lucas was too tired to participate in any creative parenting.

"You yelled at your mom yesterday. What's with that?"

"I was angry."

"That much she got," Lucas answered wryly. "What's up?'

"I don't want to talk about it."

"That's too bad," Lucas answered coolly, "because I do. Your mom works really hard to do everything she can for you guys. She doesn't deserve your attitude."

"She never has time anymore."

"We're all busy, Ry. With Fred being sick and Ashton having trouble at school-"

"It's like I might as well not exist," Ryan answered angrily.

"That's not true," Lucas insisted. "Your mom loves you. And she gives you every minute she can."

"Whatever," Ryan answered sullenly. He pulled the headphones back on and Lucas exited the room, deciding that the battle wasn't quite worth it at the moment. He was too tired to argue further.

Meanwhile, Peyton, Winifred, and Jenny were headed to the hospital. Jenny sighed as Peyton pulled her green SUV in next to Brooke's red one. "Be nice," Peyton warned her as she turned the ignition off and opened her door.

Brooke and Jake were already in Haley's hospital room, talking to the mother and cooing at the newborn baby. Jake looked happy as ever holding the tiny little girl and it reminded Peyton immediately of Jenny; Jake had never been happier than he was when she was a baby. Brooke was looking over his shoulder and occasionally stroking Megan's soft little hands.

"This kid is going to be way too popular," Haley said with a laugh as she saw the three girls standing in the doorway.

"Well, look at who her mother is," Peyton said with a smile. "People won't hold her paternity against her."

"Thanks," Nathan said sarcastically from the corner.

"Well, it's getting sort of crowded in here," Jake said. "Jen, why don't you hold Megs for a minute and then we'll go?"

"Can't I just stay with Aunt Peyton?"

"Jen," Peyton said warningly. "Maybe your dad and Brooke would like to see you for a little while. I've been monopolizing your time all day." The young girl glared back at her aunt but then went along, only getting to hold the new baby for a few minutes before Jake and Brooke decided to leave. Once they were gone, Nathan let Winifred hold the baby and then put her back into her basinet.

"I'll take her back to the nursery for the night," Nathan offered.

"Okay," Haley agreed with a thankful smile. She leaned over to gently kiss the baby and then watched as Nathan covered her with a tiny blanket and started to push the basinet toward the door.

"You want to come Fred?"

"Go ahead," Peyton said after her daughter looked at her for consent. They left Peyton and Haley alone and immediately the façades fell from the faces of the two exhausted women.

"I love my children. But I'm never doing that again," Haley swore.

"You said that the last time," Peyton reminded her gently.

"This time I mean it. Babies are hard work."

"They're worth it," Peyton said as she scooted next to Haley on the bed.

"What's going on with you?"

"Nothing important."

"You'd say that if your head were on fire."

"It's not," Peyton said with a yawn as she tugged on a blond curl.

"Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something," Haley said out of nowhere.

"We are talking."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do," Peyton consented. "So shoot."

"I asked Brooke and Jake to be Megan's godparents."

"That's cool," Peyton answered evenly.

"I don't want you to get upset. I normally would have asked you—"

"Megan is already my niece. And my best friend's daughter. Brooke needs this. And I'm glad you had enough faith to offer it to her."

"I do," Haley answered softly. "I really feel like she's turned a corner. I trust her again. I just need her to believe that."

"Well, it's a good start. And don't worry about Lucas and me. We have five kids of our own and Jared as a godson. That's about enough."

"Five?"

"What?"

"You said five."

"I have four kids," Peyton said as calmly as possible.

"I know how many you have," Haley answered suspiciously. "So what's with the miscount?"

"I was going to wait, but I might as well tell you. We're having another baby."

"Peyton! That's great! How far are you? Who have you told?"

"I'm only three months and we haven't told anyone. So I'd appreciate it if you could keep it quiet."

"Of course. I'm so happy for you."

"Yeah. Me too," Peyton answered with a small smile. Haley could tell from Peyton's reluctant smile that something was bothering her sister in law. Unfortunately, she did not currently possess enough energy to drag the truth out of the secretive blond and so she allowed the subject to drop.

The title comes from Robert Frosts poem "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening."