This is just a fun little snippet I had to write for an assignment. It's a cute Lou/Scott moment that I fell happened somewhere between "Always There" and "Beyond the Horizon". I own nothing but the plot. Enjoy!

Baby Names

"Scott, I've been thinking," Lou Trewin addressed her husband one evening during dinner.

"Uh-oh, that's always trouble," Scott teased, his blue eyes flashing playfully. She glared at him before continuing.

"I was thinking," she pressed on, her own baby blue eyes shining with anticipation, "that we haven't discussed names yet. I only have four more months, you know."

"How could I forget?" he asked, his eyes softening as they traveled from her blonde-framed face to her gently rounded belly, "And that's exactly why. You have four months left. That's plenty of time to discuss names."

"It is not! What if the baby comes early? Besides, we have everything else figured out, we're done turning the guest room into a nursery, and you won't even let me look at the baby stuff in the store, so we have nothing else to work out," Lou said, scowling at her husband when he started laughing.

"All right," he said, "We can discuss names."

"Okay," Lou started excitedly, grabbing a notebook and pencil from the desk behind her, "Let's see. We know it's a girl. What about Jessica?"
"No. My parents once told me if I was a girl, my name would be Jessica. What about… Monica?"

"Monica Trewin?" Lou tried, wrinkling her nose, "No, it just doesn't sound right to me. Allison?"

"Allison Trewin doesn't sound right, either. Besides, I remember when my mom was pregnant with Matt, she wanted to name him Allison. It was weird," Scott said, shaking his head in dismay.

"Jessica and Allison Trewin?" Lou asked, giggling, "That would have been interesting."

"Oh, be quiet, Louise," Scott retaliated, causing Lou to stick her tongue out at him. He laughed before continuing, "What about the name Dakota?"

"That sounds more like a horse's name to me."

"Sorry. I forgot I married a city girl," Scott teased, earning himself a smack on the shoulder, "but I get your point. So I guess that leaves out Jasmine and Melody, too?"

"Yes."

"All right."

Silence fell around them for several minutes. Lou stared at the list of crossed-out names in front of her, while Scott stared out the window, not really seeing the vast plains of their Virginia acreage beyond.

"Lou?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think… maybe… we could name her after Marion?" he asked nervously.

"I… don't know," Lou hesitated, not really wanting to think about naming her child after her mother.

"We don't have to if you don't want to."

"Maybe we shouldn't make it her first name, but it could work as her middle name."

"Okay. Something Marion Trewin."

"Holly," Lou said suddenly.

"What?"

"Holly Marion."

"Scott smiled as he looked deep into his wife's eyes.

"I like it," he said, and she smiled as well, "Holly Marion Trewin."