Wednesday, November 30, 2005, Episode #4691

Opening Sequence Update: Lesli Kay has been added as Felicia, following Lorenzo Lamas (Hector), and Dan McVicar (Clarke) has been added back, before Schae Harrison (Darla). Shanelle Workman (Gaby) and Addison and Alex Hoover (Phoebe and Steffy) have been removed.

Stephanie wonders what Brooke has done to Bridget now.
Stephanie comes into Eric's office, which has now been cleaned up. She picks up one of several designs from an easel and smile. Brooke comes in and walks past Stephanie, asking if there is something she can help Stephanie with. Stephanie suggests that Brooke leave her building. Brooke smiles and replies, sorry, no. As Brooke starts doing some work, Stephanie asks Brooke how she likes being down here; Brooke says it would be better is Stephanie wasn't here. Noting Brooke's confident tone, Stephanie asks what's going on; she wonders if Brooke had a meeting with a lawyer she should know about. Actually, Brooke says, she's this way because of Bridget. "What have you done now?" Stephanie asks, threatening to get the information from Bridget is she has to. Brooke tells her to leave Bridget alone. Stephanie wonders if that means Brooke is hiding something, so Brooke tells her that Bridget is having a little girl. How wonderful that must be, Stephanie quips, betting that Brooke can't wait until her new granddaughter is old enough to bring home some hotties. "Only you can take good news and turn it into an insult," Brooke replies. Stephanie responds that she's not going to let Brooke do anything to this baby girl like Brooke did to the baby's mother.

Brooke insists that Bridget and Nick have moved on.
Brooke replies that she's going to spend time with her granddaughter whether Stephanie likes it or not. Stephanie thinks that Bridget won't like Brooke hanging around Nick. Brooke says that she and Bridget still have some work to do on that, but Bridget and Nick are back together. Stephanie thinks that Brooke is just kidding herself if she thinks Nick, Bridget, the baby, and Brooke are all going to just be one big happy family. Brooke disagrees; she says that Bridget and Nick are planning a future that she [Brooke] won't let Stephanie or anybody else interfere with. Stephanie laughs at the thought of Brooke guarding that relationship, like the fox guarding the hen house. Brooke says that everything between her and Nick is over, but Stephanie thinks she shouldn't be talking in the past tense. Brooke assures her that Nick and Bridget are moving on, but Stephanie thinks everyone is pretending; she says that Bridget is pretending she trusts Nick again, Nick is pretending he's over Brooke, and Brooke is pretending that she's happy about the whole thing. That's the way it is, Brooke says. Stephanie says that Nick and Bridget being together doesn't absolve Brooke, nor does it even mean the marriage will last. Brooke tells her that Nick and Bridget have found their way back to each other, and nothing is going to derail them now.

Felicia Forrester returns to L.A.
Taylor comes in to her living room and is thrilled to see Felicia on her couch. They hug. Taylor tells Felicia that everyone will be so glad to see her. Felicia says she doesn't know how long she's staying and hasn't even checked into a hotel. Taylor says to forget that and stay here, but Felicia doesn't want to intrude. Taylor says it's it's not that; it's just that she thought Felicia wasn't interested when she never responded to Taylor's job offer. Felicia asks how she can't be interested in her mother taking over Forrester, making Thorne president and sticking Eric and Ridge in the basement. She wants the gory details. Taylor says that can wait. Right now, she wants to know how Felicia is, especially since it was so hard to track her down. Ridge had told her that Felicia's cancer was in remission, so she hopes that hasn't changed. Felicia replies that she was holed up in the French countryside with no phone or TV. Taylor asks if she's still designing after leaving Spectra a while ago. Felicia says she got out of there at the right time. While she still sketches now and then, she focuses more on other things, as her priorities have changed. Taylor agrees that Felicia sounded more laid back and centered on the phone. Facing your own mortality can do that to you, Felicia replies, although she's sure Taylor knows that. Taylor admits that she first worried that Felicia's cancer had come back, but then she wondered if Felicia just had a hard time getting over Nick. Felicia can't believe she came home just to be grilled about Nick; not only is Taylor working for her mother, she says, but she's BECOME Stephanie now!

Taylor wonders why Felicia is hesitant.
Taylor gets back to the job offer. Felicia asks if Taylor is now the head of human resources for Forrester. Taylor admits that Stephanie asked her to call about the job. Felicia guesses that was because her mother knew she'd turn down the job if Stephanie called. Taylor says that Stephanie just thought she'd be the best one to explain to Felicia that they really need an experienced head designer. They must be desperate if they want her for that, Felicia says, since her avant garde design sense is hardly right for Stephanie's vision of taking Forrester back to its classical roots. She thinks Stephanie and Taylor wanted one more person on their side, against Eric, Ridge and Brooke. Taylor says that's not it, but then says maybe... Felicia tells her to stop, since she sees Taylor still can't lie. She tells Taylor that it's really not that hard, as she has it down to a science. Taylor admits Felicia is right, but she senses that Felicia is lying, too. Felicia says she may have been lying to herself that she'd come home and find that things had changed with her messed up family. Taylor says that she really thinks Felicia coming back would be good for everyone: Forrester needs a designer, Felicia needs something to do and Stephanie could use some company in the house. Felicia is still skeptical. Taylor asks why; is it the smog or the traffic? Or is Felicia worried about running into Nick? Felicia again gets upset about Nick being mentioned; she assures Taylor that she's not hung up on Nick and doesn't want anything from him. "I didn't say you did," Taylor says. Felicia tells her to stop; she assures Taylor that she has more important things to worry about than Nick Marone.

Nick and Bridget reconnect.
Nick comes into the beach house and asks Bridget how things went with Dante. Dante was hurt, Bridget explains, but it went OK. Nick says it's OK for her to want to be with the father of her child, and Dante will understand that it he's her friend. Nick promises Bridget that he's here for her now, and he even admits that he feels sorry for Dante, as the Italian won't get to see her beautiful face every day like Nick will. Not everyone's as lucky as him, Bridget says. Holding her closer, Nick agrees; after all, he gets to come home every day and kiss her, while she gets to bring him breakfast and beer, light his cigars and be a good little wife. She gives him a look; he says he's kidding. He may not speak Italian, paint pretty pictures or even cook Italian, but he'll take care of his two best girls. Did he say he didn't cook? she asks. He answers "takeout." She asks about cleaning; he says that he swabs The Marlin. Changing diapers? she asks. He gulps that they have a few months to work on that. They giggle and he hugs and kisses her. They also have a few months to work on a lot of things, he adds, like their marriage and getting back in sync - as opposed to the kitchen sink, he laughs. They kiss again and move to the bedroom.

Nick takes in the bedroom, as he plans to spend lots of time here when he moves in. She agrees that it's been a while. He meant getting a good night's sleep, he laughs, sitting on the bed on motioning for her to join him. She asks if he's ready to be a landlubber. He thinks he's ready for the change and has no regrets because of the two special girls he'll have. They talk about the baby. Nick starts to get amorous and lies her back on the bed, but she stops him, reminding him that the doctor wanted her to take it easy. Looking a bit frustrated, Nick pulls back and lies close beside her. She bets they can find something else to do. They talk about how much they missed each other. Nick says he wants to do more than just put a smile on her face. She's the rudder that steers him, he says. She asks if he went a bit off course. And he shouldn't have expected her to be there when he turned it around, he says. But she was. She says he did a pretty good job of convincing her he needed a second chance. He tells her he never ever really believed in second chances, since you couldn't afford them at sea. On a ship, he says, you only get what you earn. Does that mean he doesn't think he's earned her forgiveness yet? she asks. Not yet, he says, thinking he's only halfway there. She says he's all the way there now. And he always will be, he says. When he looks at her, he wants her to see that he's "that guy." He IS that guy, she replies. He says he hasn't always been, but he's going to be, for the rest of their lives. They hold each other and kiss as they cuddle on the bed.