Wednesday, November 02, 2005, Episode #4673

Bridget and Dante view her latest ultrasound.

Bridget is in the hospital for her latest ultrasound. Her doctor thinks she'll be amazed at how much the baby has grown since the last ultrasound and asks if the baby has kicked. Not yet, Bridget says; the doctor says that some first time moms don't realize what they're feeling right away. The doctor asks if they should wait for the father before starting. Bridget says they can start, but there's a knock at the door: it's Dante. He says that he thought Bridget might need some company for the ultrasound, so here he is. Bridget introduces her friend to the doctor and asks if Dante can stay. As long as she's OK with it, the doctor replies. While the doctor gets a chart, Bridget asks Dante why he's here; he didn't want her to be alone when she sees her baby. Bridget says she'll be fine; Dante offers to leave, but Bridget asks him to stay. He stands by the side of her examining table as the doctor begins, and Bridget and Dante are amazed to see her baby's heart beating strong. Bridget's so emotionally moved that she has a flashback to Nick acting excited about the impending arrival of their child. The doctor tells Bridget to come back at 20 weeks for another ultrasound, and to put on at least four pounds by them. Dante doesn't think that will be a problem with him cooking. The doctor again congratulates Bridget on a healthy baby and leaves. As Bridget looks at some photos, Dante tells her to forget about Nick and let him take her out to eat. If she'll take care of the baby, he'll take care of mommy.

Nick asks Brooke to stop hiding her feelings.

On the Shady Marlin, Brooke says they shouldn't be here, but Nick reminds her that this is where she told him that she loved him. Brooke refuses to fail Bridget again, but Nick thinks that things will only get worse if they keep denying their feelings. Brooke reminds him how she feels; Nick thinks it's admirable that she wants to protect her daughter, but he knows that marrying Eric isn't the answer. Neither is this, Brooke says. Nick doesn't see any point in pretending, since Bridget knows how they feel and doesn't want him. Brooke thinks Bridget is just confused; she tells Nick that the two of them running off and being happy is just a fantasy. But it doesn't have to be, Nick says. She reminds him that her life is with Eric now; no, it's not, Nick says. Brooke says that Eric is a good man, and she loves him. Like a friend, Nick says. Brooke wonders if that's what she needs, someone who will protect her. But she can't turn her back on love and passion, Nick interrupts.

Brooke asks where her passion ever got her or her family. Nick says that passion is what he fell in love with, as it fuels her and her devotion to her children. He knows that she thinks she's doing right by Bridget, but he thinks that she's wrong. He suggests that they'll all be better off if they just embrace that passion and let everyone know how they feel. Brooke says that he's the man she wants, and admitting it only makes her want him more... Nick tells her not to say it. She wishes that she didn't have to. He says she doesn't. Then what else can they do? Brooke asks. She recalls how Nick said it was best to admit their feelings. It is best, Nick says; he points out that what's done is done, so the only thing they can do is move forward together. She tells him to stop. Stop what? he asks. If she's asking him to stop loving her, Nick says, looking into her eyes, he can't. He thinks the only way for her family to come together is if they don't have any more secrets. She says that she can't, but Nick urges her to see that they need truth and honesty to put the tragedies behind them. But they have to do it together, Nick says, and it has to start here, tonight, going on forever.

Stephanie confronts Eric over the trust document.

At Forrester, Stephanie notes that Eric looks nervous. He says that he's just surprised to see her, since he thought she'd left for Florida. She claims that she missed her flight. Eric says that's too bad and offers to have the Forrester company jet take her down there. The offer makes Stephanie think about the first time that she and Eric flew in to her family's private airstrip here. They were still in Northwestern, she recalls, and he didn't exactly enjoy spending two weeks with her father. John Douglas was intimidating, Eric confesses. Her father didn't like her "California golden boy," she recalls, but she was madly in love with Eric. Still, she supposes her father must have believed in Eric, since he eventually fronted them the money they needed to start the company. Eric asks why they're talking about her father. Because her father didn't trust him or want her to marry him, Stephanie says, but she was so in love that she thought Eric would never hurt her. But then he betrayed her, with Brooke, Lauren, Sheila and Jackie. Eric asks if she came here for one last argument before leaving for Florida. She didn't come here to argue, she says. She just wants to ask Eric if he sees himself as an honest man, filled with integrity. He says that he would, although he'll be the first to admit that he's made some mistakes. Seeing how honest and understanding he's being, Stephanie wonders how she let a man like Eric get away. Whatever her reasons, Eric says, it's time for them all to move on, and for her to be... To be honest with herself? she asks. Or honest with him? She suggests that everyone in his life sees him as a man who can be trusted. Eric says that's what he always wanted to be. He then notices Stephanie looking over his shoulder and asks what's wrong. She says that his safe is open and supposes he was looking for something - something, she says as she pulls out the trust document, like this!

Eric is silent. Stephanie asks why he's so quiet. Eric tries to take the documents and put them back in the safe, but Stephanie holds on them. She thinks about all the years that he held these documents, knowing that Forrester Creations was hers. Eric says that they built the company together, but she says that this document says otherwise. That document, Eric says, was her father's way of telling him who was boss. Her father may have given them the money to start the company, Eric argues, but it was his talent and vision that made Forrester a success. But without her family's money, Stephanie insists, his designs would have been stuck on a sketch pad. He asks how she can dare to take the high road after all the times she has lied to him, and he points out that she broke into his safe. The document doesn't matter, Eric says. Stephanie says that it matters to her! So she doesn't like being deceived, Eric says, even though he has gotten used to it after living with her for years. And now she's angry about a piece of paper. What she's upset about, she says, is that the man she loved all her life has lied to her throughout her marriage!

Eric disagrees with Stephanie.

Eric asks if she really wants to talk about their marriage. Not really, she says. If she didn't know her marriage was over before, she adds, she certainly does now. She just wishes he would have said something to her; she would have gladly given him half the company, because he deserved it. Eric is glad she sees that. She does see it, she says, just like she sees that he is leading Forrester to ruin with his bad business decisions, and with his marriage to Brooke. Eric reminds her what an asset Brooke has been to the company; Stephanie actually agrees, admitting that the creation of BeLieF was important for them. She even admits that Brooke should have been paid handsomely for her work. Instead, Eric gave Brooke half the company and let her install herself as CEO. Eric reminds her how much they needed the BeLieF formula at the time; they just couldn't let Brooke walk away with it. Still, Stephanie argues, it should have been her choice. She thinks of all the years she played the devoted, loyal wife, trying to hold this family together. And then he repays her by letting Brooke steal him away from her! Eric says she's making too much of this, as he's spoken to his lawyers. Stephanie says that she's spoken to hers, and to the sole trustee of the trust, Katherine Chancellor. She has no doubt that the trust is valid. The trust, he says, is just a technicality. One that invalidates all their business decisions and stock transfers, Stephanie argues, including their marriage! Eric tells her to calm down, but she tells him that she's not going to crawl away quietly by moving to Florida. She thinks she had lost her purpose, but now she has found it. She knows who she is now: Stephanie Douglas, sole owner of Forrester Creations.