In 2007, single mother Natalia Rivera was eking out a living in Chicago when her life unexpectedly changed thanks to a visit from a teenager named Daisy Lemay. Daisy told Natalia that she was throwing a party for her stepfather who just happened to be an old childhood friend of Natalia's—Nick Augustino. Daisy went on to explain that her stepfather and mother were having marital problems and she wanted to throw him a party to cheer him up. When Daisy invited Natalia to the party, a wary Natalia declined but took the address where Nick was now living. Despite herself, Natalia could not forget about Nick, who was more than a childhood friend—he was the love of her life. Sadly, he disappeared unexpectedly and Natalia never heard from him again. Curious, Natalia drove to Springfield, where Nick was now living and accidentally drove into a pole. Just then and police detective arrived on the scene. That officer was none other than Nick Augustino, now known as Gus Aitoro. Face to face, Gus explained that he left Chicago to locate his father's killer. Afterwards, Natalia was dismayed to learn that she lost her job in Chicago. Thankfully, she noticed that a restaurant called Company in Springfield was in need of a waitress. Natalia got the job.

Her first day, she met a bitter man named Remy Boudreau who was burying his troubles in alcohol. Later, Natalia was shocked to come face to face with Gus again; this time with his wife, Harley Cooper. Not only that, but Harley was apparently the daughter of the man who owned Company. In the meantime, Natalia was desperate for money but refused to tell her new friend, Remy, what for. Remy offered her a loan and asked her out on a date but Natalia declined both. Determined to fix her own problems, Natalia sought help from a disreputable type. They were spotted by Gus and Harley who interrupted the meeting and demanded to know what was going on. Natalia reluctantly admitted to Gus that she needed money but refused to tell him or Harley why. Soon after their discussion, Natalia went to juvenile hall and was unknowingly followed by Remy. There, Remy realized that Natalia had a teenage son who was in juvenile hall for attempted theft. That was what she needed the money for—legal help. Confronted, Natalia confessed that Rafe was indeed her son and warned him to back off. It didn't take long for Remy to realize that Rafe was Gus's son!

In the meantime, Harley was becoming increasingly jealous over Gus's past with Natalia. Harley's jealousy, coupled with stories Natalia heard about Harley's many marriages, made Natalia wonder what kind of wife Harley was. Soon after, Harley discovered the truth about Rafe and confronted Natalia. Harley was adamant that Gus had a right to know about his son, but Natalia disagreed. Natalia felt that she and Rafe had done fine on their own and she didn't need any help from Gus. However, she informed Harley that if she felt Gus should know, Harley could tell him. That same day, Harley blurted out the truth to Gus when he had an altercation with Rafe. Gus went straight to Natalia for verification and she admitted that Rafe was indeed his son. Natalia confessed that she learned that she was pregnant after he had left Chicago and she had no idea where he was. A shaken Gus confessed that if he would have known she was pregnant, he never would have left and scolded her for not even attempting to find him. Soon after, Gus testified on Rafe's behalf in court and Rafe was released from juvenile hall.

Later, Remy helped Natalia find a place for her and Rafe to stay. However, Gus was concerned that the place was in a rough neighborhood. When Natalia pointed out that was all she could afford, he suggested that Rafe live with him and Harley for a year. Unfortunately, it was not a smooth transition for anyone. Meanwhile, although Natalia went on a pleasant date with Remy, she could not get Gus out of her head.. At the same time, she met Gus's biological father, the wealthy Alan Spaulding and was charmed by him. Meanwhile, things were tense at Gus's thanks to Harley and things came to a head when Harley found Rafe kissing Daisy. Apparently the pair had met in juvie and never let on that they knew each other. Since Natalia felt that Rafe needed to concentrate on school without having a live-in girlfriend as a distraction, she wanted Rafe to move out. Daisy came up with a better solution when she volunteered to move in with her father. Unfortunately, that didn't sit well with Harley and later she announced that Daisy would be moving back home. However, Gus refused to have Rafe move out.

Finally, Alan got Rafe into a clinical trial for a new painless insulin pump for his diabetes. Alan told Natalia she can thank him by letting Rafe move in with him. At the same time, Daisy was angling for a way to see Rafe (since she was forbidden to) and tried to get Natalia to agree to let her spend more time with Rafe in exchange for Natalia spending more time with Gus. Appalled that Daisy would sell out her own mother, Natalia refused. Not long after, thanks to some comments by Daisy, Harley's father, Buzz, politely tried to tell Nat that he was letting her go. Realizing she was about to be fired, Natalia abruptly quit. Throughout all this, relations between Gus and Harley were beginning to fray. One night, he arranged for a family dinner at the Spaulding house and wanted Harley to come.

Though she agreed, he was shocked when Daisy and her father, Dylan, showed up to take Harley to dinner. Suddenly the two demanded that they have dinner with their respective children; neither would budge and Harley ended up leaving while Gus stayed at the mansion. It was becoming more apparent to Natalia that Gus's marriage was on shaky ground. To Natalia, Harley was being unreasonable. After commiserating with Natalia, Gus got a call from Alan at Towers and overheard Dylan offering to take Harley to his place. Upset, he went to Dylan's and was shocked to see the pair in bed together. Gus snuck out unseen and wound up finding comfort in Natalia's arms. In quick order, Alan informed Harley that Gus slept with Natalia. Harley asked Natalia who could just look guilty. Realizing it was true, a horrified Harley left town and resisted all of Gus's efforts to find her.

As a frustrated Gus tried to contact Harley, Natalia informed him that she still loved him and would fight for him. As the weeks went by, Gus continued to bond with Natalia and he admitted that he could see a future with her. At that point, Harley finally returned home and after an argument with Gus informed her that she never slept with Dylan. She had simply passed out in his bed. However, Gus had slept with Natalia and that was something Harley found hard to forgive so Gus moved out. Unfortunately, he moved into the Spaulding mansion. Though Gus tried to argue that he wanted to be near his son, Harley found it unacceptable. Though Gus tried to convince Harley to fight for their marriage, she was uncertain despite that fact that even Natalia tried to convince her that Gus still loved her. Soon after, a sympathetic Natalia suggested that Gus should not have to fight so hard to hold on to his marriage and pulled him into a kiss.

As Gus pulled away, he discovered a bottle of Valium at the Spaulding house. At the same time, Harley realized that someone must have drugged her the night Gus saw her at Dylan's. Though she initially accused Natalia, suspicion soon turned to Alan and he confessed. Disapproving, Natalia announced that she and Rafe were moving to Chicago. However, the next day, when she saw a drunk and upset Alan bemoaning the loss of another son, Natalia took pity on him and decided to stay. Soon after, Harley and Gus tried to put their marriage back together by renewing their vows. Unfortunately, thanks to Alan, Gus missed it. Unable to trust that Gus would put her before Natalia, Harley told Gus that they were over. Afterwards, Natalia agreed to go on another date with Remy. However, by this time, it was becoming obvious that Gus was becoming interested in Natalia again.

However, at this point, so was Alan. Alan enjoyed bonding with his newfound grandson and enjoyed showing Natalia the finer things in life, though she resisted. When Alan escorted Natalia to a charity ball, Gus could not help but be jealous and warned his father to stay away from Natalia. Days later, Natalia was there for Alan when his sister was struck down with an embolism and he pulled her into a kiss. Later, Natalia finally confronted Alan about the kiss and he apologized. Later, Natalia went with Remy to a poker game where things got a bit rowdy. Luckily, Gus saved Natalia and Remy. However, Nat declared that Gus had his chance with her already – she was staying with Remy. Then shockingly, Remy told Natalia that Gus was right about him and suggested that she walk away. Meanwhile, Gus remained torn between a life with Harley and building a family with Natalia and Rafe. When Natalia warned him that he would have to choose, Gus kissed her. At the same time, Natalia was horrified to learn that Daisy had gotten pregnant with Rafe's child. Even worse was the revelation that she had an abortion. The news that Daisy had done this without his knowledge rocked Rafe and he lashed out at everyone, including Natalia. Like Rafe, Natalia was extremely unhappy with the choice Daisy had made and refused to let Daisy see Rafe.

In the meantime, Gus finally made his decision---he wanted a real family with Natalia. However, this time Nat stated that she would not sleep with anyone again until she was married. Weeks later, Alan presented Natalia with a sweet gesture--an antiqued cross that he claimed belonged to Gus's mother. In the meantime, Natalia thought it was time to move out of the mansion. Though Alan offered her the use of the guest house, Gus suggested she and Rafe move into the pool house. At around this time, Natalia met Father Ray Santos. Ray was a friend of Natalia's priest in Chicago and promised him that he would look after the Riveras. Worried about Rafe, Natalia asked Ray to speak to him but Rafe rudely dismissed him. In the meantime, Alan continued to flirt with Natalia. The same day that Alan told Natalia his belief that Gus was not ready to jump into a serious relationship again, Gus told Natalia his intention to annul his marriage.

Later, after Gus stood Natalia up for a date, Alan swooped in and invited her to dinner. Days later, Natalia's new boss, Olivia Spencer, told Natalia that if it weren't for her, Gus probably would still be with Harley. Natalia returned to mansion just as Gus was about to sign his annulment papers. Natalia tore them up stating that she didn't want him to annul his marriage for her sake. She stated that she knew how special his marriage was and it would be wrong to just discount that. Later, Gus decided to put his marriage in the past by filing for divorce and focused on the future by asking Natalia to marry him. Natalia wasn't certain at first and insisted that she needed Gus to want to marry her because he loved her. Gus tried to tell her that they would have time to fall in love again but Nat insisted that she needed to think about it. Not long after, as Natalia considered spending Thanksgiving at the Spauldings, Gus accepted Harley's invitation to Thanksgiving dinner for the boys' sakes. Disappointed, Natalia accepted an offer for her and Rafe to work the day at Towers. When a customer started getting rude, Rafe angrily defended her and then quit while Alan intervened on her behalf also. That same day, Natalia accepted Gus's proposal. Upon hearing the news, Alan warmly, too warmly, welcomed Natalia into the family with a kiss. His intention was not lost on either Gus or Natalia and Nat warned Alan not to do that again. Undeterred, Alan stated that he would be waiting when Gus hurt her.

In the meantime, Natalia found Olivia unconscious in her room and insisted that she go to the hospital. Days later, after Gus told Natalia that he was going to work, she spotted him leaving the Beacon with Olivia. Natalia confronted Olivia about the lie and called her on her "home wrecker" reputation. She then warned her to stay away from Gus. Not intimidated in the least, Olivia told Natalia that if she really wanted Gus, he'd be hers; besides the person she needed to worry about was Harley. Later, Natalia called Gus on the lie and warned him that Olivia was a troublemaker. Gus assured Natalia that she had nothing to be jealous about. However, Natalia still not trust Olivia and after seeing Gus embracing a weeping Olivia, she accused her of making a move on him. In 2008, Gus and Natalia continued to plan their wedding while Gus seemed focused on Olivia. Meanwhile, Alan offered to buy Nat a pendant as a wedding present and unsettled her by suggesting that she was in love with the Nick that she knew in the past; she knew nothing about the man Gus was now. Not long after, Natalia and Gus found Olivia passed out at the Beacon and Natalia accused Olivia of faking in order to win Gus's attention. Later, Natalia called Olivia out on purposefully trying to mess with the wedding and when Gus defended Olivia, Nat called the wedding off. Gus quickly got in Nat's good graces and convinced her to elope with him. Unfortunately, just as they were about to go to Chicago, Gus got another call about Olivia and rushed off. The next day when Natalia railed at Olivia for going after Gus, Olivia confessed that she was dying of a weak heart.

Learning that Gus had been helping Olivia through this, Natalia offered to help as well. Meanwhile, Natalia overheard Olivia and Alan discuss Olivia breaking up Nat and Gus and confronted Olivia. Olivia confessed to Gus and Natalia that she and Alan had made a deal---in exchange for protection against Phillip, Olivia agreed to drive a wedge between Gus and Natalia. Gus and Nat instantly forgave her since they figured Alan was more to blame. Later, Olivia made it clear to Nat that she wanted Gus for herself. As days went by, Olivia worked on Natalia's fears by reminding her of Gus's love for Harley and on Gus's sympathies by pretending to feel faint and calling him for help. As the weeks went by, Olivia made it clear to Natalia that she was going after Gus. Finally, on Natalia's wedding day, Olivia left a message for Gus asking him to come and help her. Natalia went instead and when Olivia flat out said that she was going after Gus no matter what, a desperate Nat locked her in the bathroom!

That day, Gus and Natalia married in a small ceremony. Immediately after, Gus got a call from the heart bank saying that a heart had been found for Olivia but she never responded to their pages. At that point, Natalia confessed to locking Olivia in the bathroom in order to keep her from stopping the wedding. Gus rushed to get Olivia out and was forced to tell her that the bank had given the heart away because she never responded. Upset with Nat, Gus decided to spend his wedding night comforting Olivia. Remorseful that she cost Olivia her chance at getting a heart, Natalia apologized to both Gus and Olivia. Natalia pleaded for a way to make it up to her and Olivia told her to give up Gus. Afterwards, Natalia told Gus to devote all of his energies to Olivia.

In the meantime, Rafe was not pleased with Gus's attentions toward Olivia and after with Natalia about Gus, Rafe defiantly kissed Daisy. When Nat flipped out, Rafe told her to back off. Later, Gus learned that Olivia had mere weeks, maybe even days to live. After breaking the news to Olivia, Gus promised Nat that once this thing with Olivia ended; he was going to devote himself to her and to prove that to her, he bought her a house. Tragically, a mere day later, as he was racing to see Olivia in the hospital, Gus was involved in an accident and rushed to Cedars hospital with a severe head injury, An hysterical Natalia got there at the same time Harley did and Harley tried to console Natalia that it would be alright. Unfortunately, Harley was wrong. Gus said goodbye to a tearful Harley and implored Natalia not to cry as he was wheeled into surgery. Unfortunately, the extent of Gus's head injury was too severe and he died on the operating table. When he proved to be a match for Olivia, Natalia reluctantly agreed for Olivia to receive his heart. The loss of the only man she ever loved was too much for Natalia and she neglected making any funeral arrangements. Adamant that Gus be honored, Harley took it upon herself to make the arrangements.

Meanwhile, Olivia was devastated by Gus's death and wished that it was her. Though a depressed Olivia was ready to die, Natalia refused to let her waste the gift she was given and continually badgered an ungrateful Olivia not to give up. Unfortunately, Natalia's words had no affect at first and Olivia refused to take her medication. Later, wanting to feel near Gus, Olivia bought the house that Gus bought for Natalia. Though Natalia raged at Olivia for her selfishness, she refused to let Gus's heart go to waste and decided to take care of Olivia, determined to keep her alive. In the meantime, Natalia found a friend in Harley's brother, Frank, who vacated his room at the Boarding House above Company so that Natalia and Rafe could have a place to stay. Meanwhile, Natalia continued to help Olivia through her difficult recovery despite Olivia's resistance. When Olivia OD'd on pills, Natalia suspected that she tried to kill herself, Olivia assured her that she was not suicidal. In the meantime, it was learned that Gus's motorcycle was hit by a student driver. While Natalia spoke well on the kid's behalf at his trial, Rafe threatened him and had to be dragged away by the police.

Shortly after, Natalia finally gave Rafe permission to go out with, however, Rafe still felt unsettled around Daisy and broke things off. Weeks later, Rafe asked his mother why they were staying in town and she replied that Rafe still had family since Rafe and Alan had bonded even further thanks to their shared loss. Weeks later, Natalia learned that was having visions of Gus. Though Olivia scoffed at the suggestion, Natalia believed it was possible that Gus was communicating with his father. Alan's claims seemed to have merit when he told Rafe that Gus mentioned the number 612. The next day, Rafe found 512 twenty dollar bills in the pocket of Gus's old jacket. Rafe used that money to buy the house back from Olivia. Days later, Natalia was shocked to hear that Rafe accidentally shot District Attorney Jeffrey O'Neill after threatening him with a gun to prevent him from outing Gus as a crooked since Gus dropped cases in exchange for getting Olivia moved up the transplant list. Immediately after the shooting, Rafe fled the scene and ultimately the country with Harley. The only person Harley kept in contact with was Buzz who refused to tell anyone where they were. Rafe's disappearance took its toll on Natalia, however, and Frank convinced Buzz to at least let her talk to her son. Several days later, Buzz, with financial help from Olivia, arranged a visit between Natalia and Rafe.

Though Natalia tried to convince Rafe to come home and face the charges, he refused and Harley and Rafe fled again without telling Natalia. Days later, Rafe called and Natalia informed him that Jeffrey was okay and was trying to get the charges reduced. Natalia begged him to come back but again he refused. In the following weeks, Natalia continued to worry about Rafe. Frank was a great friend to her at this time and helped her at every turn, even arranging for her to get a call from Rafe. Natalia was also forming a reluctant friendship with Olivia, who couldn't understand why. Natalia placed her faith in Alan's visions. Finally, at the end of summer, Rafe returned to Springfield and surprised Natalia at the house that Gus bought. Olivia promised to keep Rafe's return to town a secret and then asked Jeffrey to find a way to help the Riveras. Worried about Rafe's safety, Natalia decided that he needed to turn himself in and set him up to be arrested. Though Rafe was able to evade the cops, he was soon arrested from tip by Daisy's boyfriend, Grad Foley.

Meanwhile, Olivia was having periodic chest pains and Natalia insisted that she see a doctor. However, Olivia procrastinated. Not long after, Olivia got an amazing job opportunity—to be the spokesperson for Galaxy Hotels. Olivia accepted the offer but neglected to tell her boss, Lawrence Decker, about her heart condition. At the same time, Natalia was dealing with the fact that Rafe was now in jail. Desperate help her son, Natalia got a lawyer to help in his case. Unfortunately, lack of money made finding a lawyer very difficult so Olivia recommended her lawyer, Vince Russo. Unfortunately, when Russo discovered that Natalia couldn't pay, he suggested sexual favors in return as payment. Seeing no choice, Natalia decided to go along with it. Luckily, Olivia stormed to his office and got Natalia out of there before she agreed to Russo's request. However, money problems continued to plague her and, at one point, she considered a job at a strip joint. However, Frank gave her another option—come back to work at Company. Meanwhile, Buzz told Rafe how desperate Natalia was to help him and Rafe accepted a plea bargain and despite testimony from Jeffrey, Rafe was sentenced to jail.

As time went by, Olivia and Natalia continued to help one another. Noticing that Olivia was ill right before a meeting with Decker, Natalia successfully intervened. Realizing that she needed help, Olivia offered Natalia a job as her assistant but Natalia refused, Meanwhile, Olivia continued to have chest pains and shortness of breath and she finally went to Cedars. There, Rick informed her and Natalia that her body was rejecting the heart. Weeks later, Olivia collapsed and her heart stopped. Luckily, Remy was able to save her. Overwhelmed with worry, Natalia accepted Olivia's job offer. Just then, Rick informed the pair that Olivia needed to be fitted with a pacemaker. As before, Natalia took care of Olivia as well as Emma during Olivia's recovery, but this time Olivia was open to the help. Later, Olivia helped a frustrated and worried Natalia by arranging for Rafe to be placed in a better prison facility. However, the governor only agreed to help on one condition—Natalia move out of her house so that an exit ramp could be built in that neighborhood. Though she refused at first, Natalia eventually agreed and sold the house that Gus bought her.

At this point, Cassie Lewis had moved away and her farmhouse was for sale. Olivia talked Natalia into buying it for herself. At the same time, Natalia overheard Decker talk to Olivia about a huge investment opportunity. Instead of buying the farmhouse, Natalia gave the money she got from the sale of her house to Decker for the investment. Unfortunately, the investment went bad and Natalia lost everything. At around this time, Decker had learned about Olivia's heart problem and was upset that she hid it from him. Olivia agreed to leave his employ in exchange for Natalia getting her money back. Though Natalia now had the money to buy the house, she still was unable to afford the monthly payments. However, she could if Olivia rented a room. Though uncertain, Olivia agreed. Unfortunately, the two bickered on decorating the house for Christmas and ultimately decided that they were too different to coexist in the same house. This didn't set well with Emma who never lived in a real home before. After Emma made her feelings known by briefly running off, Olivia decided to live at the farmhouse after all.

n 2009, Frank made his feelings for Natalia clear by pulling her into a kiss. However, Natalia was caught off guard and pulled back instantly. Meanwhile, Olivia and Natalia's bond had grown but they didn't realize it until Emma wrote a report for school tilted "My Two Mommies" which she read for Family Day. Though Olivia seemed touched by the r report at first, afterwards, she became upset at how people were interpreting it. For her part, a naďve Natalia could not understand why Olivia was so upset. When Olivia tried to explain that people thought they were in love, Natalia took it to mean platonic love and agreed. In frustration, Olivia kissed Natalia in order to get her point across. Unlike Frank's kiss, this one left Natalia utterly speechless. Horrified, Natalia insisted that they go to the school and set the record straight. Olivia seemed hurt when Natalia insisted to the teacher that it was a mistake. Afterwards, Natalia made a point to date Frank and even kissed him. Meanwhile, Alan had read what Emma had written and voiced his disapproval at the household that his granddaughter was living in. Though Natalia suggested that Olivia move out to avoid trouble, Olivia was unwilling to give in to fear.

Though Natalia was dating Frank, she seemed much more comfortable around Olivia. Meanwhile, Olivia was shocked when Frank informed her that her ex-husband, Phillip, had returned to town. Panicked, Olivia ranted about how dangerous Phillip was and began to make preparations to leave town. Natalia calmed Olivia's fears and assured her that they would deal with Phillip together. Weeks later, Frank and Natalia went away to a resort and wound up making love. Natalia immediately regretted it and rushed out. At home, Natalia prayed and asked for help in stopping the feelings that she had been having. She then lamented to Olivia that she felt like a hypocrite and stated that what she did was wrong. Frank saw Natalia's reaction as guilt over having sex while unmarried and shocked her by proposing marriage. Shocked, Natalia asked for time to think about it.

Meanwhile, Olivia had to go to Cedars to have a new battery in her pace maker. Natalia sat by Olivia's bedside while she was apparently sleeping and confessed about how happy Olivia made her. She then leaned in for a kiss which Olivia interrupted by waking up. Soon after, Natalia finally said yes to Frank's proposal. Olivia encouraged Natalia to marry Frank since she believed that was best for Natalia. Olivia even through the pair an engagement party and helped Natalia plan her wedding. As for Natalia, she seemed to be simply going through the motions and never once told anyone that she loved Frank. When Frank and Natalia went to the prison and announced their engagement to Rafe, Rafe asked if his mother was happy, and Natalia strongly implied that she was. Later, Rafe was released from prison. Though Rafe and Natalia thought Frank was responsible, it was actually Olivia's doing. Unfortunately, Rafe still had to spend a brief time in a halfway house. Rafe suggested that Frank and Natalia marry before he entered the halfway house.

Finally, the day of the wedding, Olivia confessed to Natalia that she was in love with her. However, she wouldn't let Natalia return the sentiment since she knew that Natalia's faith did not condone those feelings. Olivia encouraged Natalia to marry Frank, saying that Natalia would eventually hate herself if she stayed with Olivia. Though it seemed as if Natalia would go along with the wedding, she ran out and left Frank at the altar. When Olivia confronted Natalia, Natalia finally told Olivia that she loved her. When Frank pressed Natalia for an explanation, Olivia lied that Natalia felt guilty for betraying Gus. Realizing that Natalia was ashamed of her feelings, Olivia told her that they could never be together.

Despite her initial discomfort, Natalia did not want to stay away from Olivia. Though Olivia was afraid of the consequences of Natalia declaring her love, Natalia made it clear that she meant what she said and knew what it meant to say she loved Olivia. Though not quite certain how to define their relationship, the pair continued to spend time together. Later, Doris informed Frank that Olivia and Natalia had feelings for one other. Angry, Frank confronted Olivia and accused her of going after Natalia after Gus's death. Natalia overheard and defended both Olivia and herself. Soon after, Natalia confided her feelings to Father Ray. While Father Ray quoted Scripture to convince Natalia that it was a sin, Natalia stood her ground and told him her belief that God still loved her.

Over the next few weeks, Natalia and Olivia tested their relationship and became more open with one another. When Rafe accidentally saw Natalia and Olivia in a close moment and confronted his mother. Natalia was quick to dispel Rafe's assumption that Olivia had taken advantage of Natalia. When Natalia told Rafe that she was in love with Olivia, he branded her a hypocrite for going against the religious beliefs that she taught him. Though Rafe appeared to soften towards his mother on his birthday, when Natalia suggested a dinner with Olivia, Rafe announced that he was uncomfortable doing that. Despite the disapproval of Rafe and Father Ray, Natalia was committed to her relationship with Olivia and the pair decided to go public at the Bauer Barbecue. Meanwhile, Natalia began feeling sick. Though she suspected it was stress, her new boss, Blake Marler, suggested that Natalia could be pregnant. Natalia denied the possibility at first but finally, on the day of the barbecue, took a pregnancy test which confirmed that she was pregnant with Frank's baby. Confused, Natalia confided in Father Ray who suggested that she go on a retreat so that she could figure out what to do. After asking Blake to keep her situation a secret, Natalia left town without saying a word to anyone.

Over a month later, Natalia returned to Springfield and the first person she told about her pregnancy was Olivia. Unfortunately, Olivia was bitter over the fact that Natalia left her without saying goodbye. Though Natalia wanted to spend the rest of her life with Olivia, Olivia felt that she could no longer trust Natalia. Natalia vowed that she would earn that trust back. In the meantime, Natalia told Frank about her pregnancy and assured him that she wanted him, as well as Olivia, to be a part of the baby's life. However, Olivia still wasn't ready and when Natalia came looking for a job, Olivia refused. She did, however, arrange for Alan to hire her.

Meanwhile, Natalia was shocked when Rafe announced that he had enlisted in the Army. When Natalia refused to let him go, Rafe said that she couldn't expect him to respect her choices, if she didn't respect his. Though Natalia cried, and worried what might become of him, others such as Alan, Buzz and Frank, were proud of Rafe's decision. As for Olivia, she continued to push Natalia away and rejected Natalia's invitation to go to her sonogram. Ultimately, she had a change of heart and met Natalia at her appointment—signifying that she wanted a life with Natalia. Olivia and Emma moved back into the farmhouse and by the end of the year, Natalia gave birth to a baby girl, who she named Francesca in honor of Frank.