A/N - This is my first Otalia fic after having basically written only BAM fic for the past 5 years, so I apologize if the characterizations don't always ring true. In my defense, this Natalia is not so much the Natalia who became a wimp towards the end of GL's run, but rather the strong-willed single mother from the beginning who fought and scrimped for her and her child and used curse words and wasn't all that fond of Frank and the Cooper's… at all…

Also, like many, I honestly believe that never, ever, ever would Olivia or Natalia name their kid after Frank…

Written as a birthday present to my dear friend Carolyn. Happy Birthday, CJ…

Fandom: Guiding Light/Otalia
Rating: PG, possibly PG-13 for mild language
Spoilers: Set after September 18, 2009
Disclaimers: Characters are owned by CBS and Telenext. No copyright infringement intended. All employees must wash hands before returning to work. Not the Beatles.

What's in a name-

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
-William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet

Sitting at the picnic table beneath an umbrella protecting them from the warm summer sun, Natalia didn't think there was anything on earth that could shake her from this lassitude, the sheer contentment of holding Olivia's hand and reflecting on everything they'd experienced since Olivia and Emma had moved back to the farmhouse. And, more specifically, since Olivia had moved into her, now their, bed.

She was wrong.

"I feel bad for Frank."

The look on Natalia's face suggested that Olivia had suddenly grown a hand out of her head. "What?" she asked, her tone one of utter confusion and stunning surprise. As if she'd been hit in the head with a brick in while in the midst of a lovely, perhaps even sensual, haze.

Olivia sighed, knowing she was treading on questionable, if not downright ridiculous, territory. "I feel bad. I don't want him to feel left out of the baby's life. He is her father. We should do something for him."

Natalia's eyes narrowed. "I already slept with him, which was quite enough, thank you," she muttered darkly, pulling her hands free of Olivia's where they'd held each other gently on the table just moments ago. "And more than he deserved," she added for good measure.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," Olivia grumbled.

"Well, if I have to remember it, so do you." Natalia frustratedly pushed her hair behind her ears. "Even imagining it was you didn't help much."

"That bad, huh?"

"Didn't you sleep with Frank once?"

Olivia shook her head. "If I did, I must have blacked it out."

Natalia snorted in derision. "Lucky you."

"Wait," Olivia blurted with a shake of her head. "You imagined it was me? When you and Frank were…-" she made a gesture with her arm, fist pumping back and forth a few times.

"Olivia Spencer!" Natalia exclaimed. "Don't change the subject!"

"So you don'tdeny it!"

"I just said it, didn't I?"

Olivia sat forward and propped her chin in her hand, elbow resting on the table in front of her, a typical Spencer grin on her face, an eyebrow cocked at an confident angle. "Tell me more."

Natalia started gathering up their plates and soda cups. "Bite me," she muttered, wadding up a napkin with ferocity.

"I'll do that later," Olivia cheekily replied, "but right now, tell me!" Natalia just gave Olivia a look, shook her head and, grabbing her purse, stalked away. "What! What did I say?" She scrambled to her feet to chase after her girlfriend/roommate cum lover. "Come on, Natalia, don't be that way."

A few days later:

Olivia dropped onto the sofa beside Natalia, casually crossing her ankles on the coffee table in front of her. "So… I was thinking…"

"That's never a good thing," Natalia replied, tossing the remote aside and turning to face the older woman.

"Ha ha. You're not funny."

"Neither are you, but you keep trying."

Ignoring the jibe, Olivia pressed on. "I was thinking about… what we were talking about the other day."

Natalia's eyes narrowed. "I don't want to discuss… that."

"No, not that! Good Lord, no! If we could wipe thatfrom existence, I'd be all for it." She took a deep breath. "I meant about doing something for Frank so he doesn't feel left out of our little girl's life. You know… maybe like… I don't know, maybe, possibly, we could-."

"Oh, no! Nonononono!"

Olivia's eyes went wide at the vehemence her girlfriend was displaying. "Wha- what's wrong?"

"I know what you're thinking! Well, I'm not naming her after Frank, that's for damn certain!" Natalia shook her head. "Not Francis or Frannie or Frankincense, Frankie or Francesca, so get that ridiculous thought right out of that stubborn head of yours."

Olivia stared at Natalia for a long moment. "You done?"

Natalia took a deep breath. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good. And it was just a thought. Not even a thought, really, but a wisp of mere hint of a suggestion. So… one, swear jar. And two, Francesca? Are you kidding?"

That afternoon:

"Roxanne."

"Hooker in Police song of the same name?" Olivia shook her head.

"Roseanne."

"From the Toto song or, like, Rosanne Barr?"

"Then what about just Rosie."

"As in 'the Riveter'?"

"Jane."

"Nanny who keeps losing our other daughter? No."

"Angela." Olivia just grimaced and Natalia sighed. "Yeah, I'm not crazy about it, either." She paused. "Dakota."

"Albuquerque. See? I can do it, too."

"Riley."

"Uh, dog's name, hello!"

"Kate."

"Beckinsale, Capshaw or Blanchett?"

"Scarlett."

"Got any other actresses you wanna name her after?"

"Ani? Gina?"

"Sounds like a lesbian web series. Move on."

"Charlotte."

"Like the city or the spider from the book?"

Natalia sighed in exasperation. "Olivia!"

"I've already said no to that."

"Trust me," Natalia grumbled. "I've seen the light. I would never subject our daughter to being named after a pig-headed, stubborn pain in the a-."

"Watch it!"

Two days later:

Natalia slid into her chair at the kitchen table next to Olivia, her hands clasped penitently on the table before her. "Marissa," she said with a gentle smile.

It took Olivia by surprise and tears welled up quickly before she had a chance to think about it. However…

"I love you for wanting to name her after my sister, Sweetie," she whispered, brushing back a lock of Natalia's dark mahogany hair. "But Marissa is just a little too close to Marina. I'd never be able to get Frank's obnoxious orange brat of a daughter out of my head."

Natalia's nose crinkled. "Yeah… what's up with that, anyway?"

"Besides," Olivia continued, placing her hand on Natalia's ever-swelling belly. "She doesn't seem like a Marissa."

Nat pressed her hand to Olivia's. "Well, if we were looking for names that fit her temperament, we'd have to go with something Native American." She got up and headed to the fridge to start preparing lunch. "Something along the lines of Sacagawea Sits on Bladder or Mary Much Retaining Water."

Olivia sneered a bit in frustration. "Or Lisa the One Time Frank Get's Lucky…"

A week or so later:

"I want to name her Spencer," Natalia said off-handedly, slathering peanut butter on the sandwich she was making for Emma. "I like it. And since you won't let me name her Ivy Olivia, I would still get to name her after you."

Olivia sat back in her chair and gave Natalia a look that, just a few short months ago, would have sparked an argument heard all the way to the Beacon. "I don't think that's a good idea," Olivia replied evenly.

"Why not?"

Olivia pursed her lips. "Just because."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one you're getting from me. I forbid it."

Natalia stopped dead, knife poised above the half-made sandwich. "You… forbidit?"

Aw, shit, Olivia thought, rolling her eyes. I did it again. Having a real relationship is so effin' hard!"Um…," she began, "I mean…"

"Oh, no, Olivia, you're not getting out of this one so easily. You forbidit? Since when is this a dictatorship?"

Olivia panicked. "You've got peanut butter…" she reached out, hoping to distract her lover.

"Don't!" Natalia exclaimed, using the knife to hold the older woman off. "You tried that before and there was no peanut butter on my face! That won't work on me again."

Olivia eyed the glob of peanut butter on Natalia's cheek, but decided discretion was the better part of valor in this instance. "Okay."

"Now, as I was saying… I want. To. Name. Her. Spencer."

"Please, Natalia, don't."

"Why not? I like it, it's a wonderful, unique name for a girl."

"I wish you wouldn't."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you."

"Oh, really? That's not good enough. Spencer, it is, then."

"Please, Natalia. Don't"

"You'll have to do better than that."

Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose. "Um, because I'm asking nicely?"

"What's the problem, Olivia?"

"I just rather you wouldn't."

"Spencer Ivy Rivera. I like it."

"No."

"Spencer Ivy, you come here right now! Spencer Ivy, you put that down! Spencer Ivy, don't you dare eat that bug!"

"Stop."

"It's perfect."

"You can't."

"I can. And I will." Natalia was inordinately pleased with herself. "Spencer Ivy Rivera."

"You cannot name her Spencer Rivera!"

"Why not!"

Olivia leapt from her chair. "Because being named Spencer Rivera-Spencer will get her beaten up on the playground!"

The words reverberated around the farmhouse kitchen as Olivia slapped a hand over her mouth, hoping against hope she could somehow call them back before they pin-balled their way into Natalia's ears.

It was a weird sense of déjà vu for the both of them. Had they been standing in the cemetery at Gus's grave, the effect would have been complete.

Natalia sat down so suddenly, she appeared to be boneless. "What?" she asked, her voice and expression almost exactly as it was that day at the pizza parlor.

Too late…

Olivia dropped her head into her hands. "Dammit," she muttered. "It wasn't supposed to come out like that."

"Olivia?"

"Yes?" Holding her breath, the older woman wondered if she acted as if she hadn't said what she'd just said that it would be forgotten by the brunette sitting before her.

"What did you mean that her name would be Spencer Rivera-Spencer?"

Crap.

Olivia sighed. "If I let you name her Ivy Olivia, would you forget what I just said?"

"No."

Double crap.

Nervously turning the ring on her thumb, Olivia leaned her elbows on the table. "Well," she said, stopping and clearing her throat before continuing. "You know, I was kind of thinking… you know… someday…" she swallowed. "Are you thirsty? I could use some water." She jumped up and grabbed a bottle out of the fridge, leaning back against the cool brushed metal surface as she faced Natalia again.

Natalia's eyes narrowed a bit. Olivia was never nervous and stumbling over her words. She was never so jumpy or anxious. She was Olivia Freakin' Spencer, for crying out loud. "Olivia," she urged softly.

"Well, you know…" Olivia practically ripped the top off the water bottle and chugged half of it, swiping the back of her hand across her mouth as she swallowed. "I was just… it's like… I was thinking…"

"Yes?"

"Well… that we'd get married."

"Married!" Natalia squeaked.

"Come on, Natalia! It's only 120 miles to Iowa. I-OH-WA! You know, the provincially Midwestern state where same sex marriage is incomprehensibly legal?"

"You want to marry me?"

"Well, yeah-."

"And you expect me to take your name?"

Olivia's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "That's what you're upset about?"

"What, are you going to make an honest woman out of me?"

"How did naming a baby go to hell so quickly?" Olivia queried to the ceiling.

"Swear jar!"

"Marry me!"

"Okay!"

Olivia looked at Natalia for a moment, then surged forward and kissed her hard on the lips. Natalia's arms automatically encircled Olivia's neck and the older woman pressed her back into the counter. Arms circled an expanding waist as completely as it could while warm, wet, soft kisses were exchanged along with words of love and desire.

"Wait," Olivia said around Natalia's kisses, tilting her head back so the Latina could nuzzle her neck. "Wait…" she repeated less convincingly.

The word "What?" was pressed against her throat.

"We still don't have a name for the baby."

Eight weeks and one trip to Iowa later:

"This is our daughter, Olivia. Hannah Grace Rivera-Spencer."

Olivia leaned close and brushed a finger over an impossibly tiny fist. A full head of dark hair and translucent eyelids closed over what she knew to be blue/gray eyes took her breath away. Their child. Their hope. Their salvation. She bent her head and pressed a gentle kiss to a smooth forehead.

The hospital room door swished open and Emma stood there, looking both impossibly young and wise beyond her years. Traveling around Springfield on your own trying to save your daddy from prison, your mommy from herself, and your own 9-year old version of sanity will do that to you, Emma thought.

Olivia looked up. "Come here, Jelly Bean," she whispered, reaching a hand out to the daughter who had so innocently brought her and Natalia together and created this unique little family. "Come say hello to your baby sister."

The little girl stepped closer, wide-eyed at the tiny little being in her Mama's arms. She reached out a tentative hand and brushed it over curls the color of rich dark chocolate. "Hi, baby," she said in a soothing voice. "Hi, baby sister."

"Em," Natalia said softly. "Meet Hannah Grace. Hannah, this is your big sister Emma."

"Hannah?" Emma asked, her hands coming up and clasping under her chin in awe. "Really?"

"Yeah, baby," Olivia replied. "Really."

"Yay!" Emma squealed, bouncing on her toes and clapping her hands. "You named her after Hannah Montana!"

Two heads snapped up. Eyes met.

Olivia fell off the bed.

The End…