Wednesday, September 07, 2005, Episode #4634

It's morning at Ridge's Bel Air mansion. While Steffy sets the table, Thomas asks her where Phoebe is. She doesn't know. As Thomas helps with the table, he flashes back to Phoebe finding the condom wrapper outside his door last night. He's brought back to reality by Taylor telling him that they and Gaby still have to talk about last night after breakfast. She's just glad the twins don't know what almost happened between him and Gaby last night.

Phoebe makes plans for Gaby.
Upstairs, Gaby smiles as she prepares for a new day. Phoebe comes in and guesses that Gaby feels like a new woman after last night. Gaby apologizes for last night and offers to help Phoebe with her trig now. Phoebe thinks that's sweet of her to be so helpful. Gaby says she's glad to do it after what Phoebe's family has done for her. Phoebe's glad to hear that, since she has something Gaby can do to thank the family for their kindness: she thinks Gaby's presence has caused problems for her parents, so she wants Gaby to go live with her cousins in Phoenix (that Gaby's never even met). Gaby doesn't think that'll be possible; she'll be starting college soon and she's happy here, and she and Thomas have grown close. Phoebe tells Gaby to stop putting her own happiness before Phoebe's parents' happiness. Gaby tries to object, but Steffy calls from downstairs for breakfast. Phoebe tells Gaby that she really should go to Phoenix before leaving the room.

Thomas and Gaby are upset by the breakfast table conversation.
Soon after, Thomas and Gaby come to the breakfast table. They each try to tell the other about their encounters with Phoebe since last night, but before they can get into it, Taylor and Steffy arrive. Steffy sets a tray down on the table and everyone sits down. Phoebe then tells everyone that Gaby's made a decision to Phoenix. Taylor seems surprised. Thomas says it's not true, but Phoebe says it is and looks to Gaby. Gaby however agrees with Thomas and says that she's staying! She then tells Taylor that she's sorry if she caused any problems between Taylor and Ridge. She should be, Phoebe says, since she made her dad move out! Thomas tells his sister to stop that. Taylor tries to explain to Phoebe that it's complicated, but Phoebe thinks it's simple: Gaby moved in and Ridge moved out. Taylor reminds Phoebe that they talked about this. Like she talked to Thomas and Gaby about the rules on their marriage? Phoebe asks. Thomas tells Phoebe to quit it. Even if he and Gaby are married, Phoebe responds, her mom has a right to know that he and Gaby slept together. Taylor says that they didn't. But they did, Phoebe says, pulling out the condom wrapper she found outside Thomas's room to prove it!

Taylor is furious that she was lied to.
Thomas scolds his sister for bringing that up, but Taylor's more concerned about what Thomas did. She sends the twins to their room and asks Gaby and Thomas how they could have sex here against her wishes. They used a condom, Thomas says. And they're really in love, Gaby insists. Taylor doesn't want to hear that. She reminds them how she lied for them against her better judgement, and all she asked of them was to obey one simple rule. Not only didn't they honor that rule, but to have them turn around and do this behind her back... She frets that Ridge was right as she picks up the phone and dials Agent Dunn at immigration. As Taylor waits for the agent to come on line, Gaby asks her not to do this. Thomas asks his mom to put down the phone so they can talk about this, but Taylor doesn't think there is anything more to say. Thomas says that they're in love and didn't do anything wrong. Just then, Agent Dunn comes on. Thomas reminds his mom that Gaby will be deported if she does this, but Taylor goes ahead and tells the agent that her son's marriage to Gaby is a fraud. Dunn asks if Gaby is there; when Taylor says yes, Dunn says he's on his way. Thomas tells Taylor that he can't believe she did that. Just like she can't believe they deceived her, Taylor tells Thomas and Gaby. She warned them, she reminds them as Gaby cries.

Eric tries to convince Brooke to tell Bridget the truth.
Eric is with Brooke in her office at Forrester; he insists that Bridget has a right to know about how she and Nick feel about each other. Brooke doesn't see why, since she won't let Nick act on those feelings. But Bridget will sense those feelings, he argues. Brooke reminds him that Bridget is carrying Nick's child. All the more reason to tell Bridget, Eric says; if she should find out after she marries Nick. Brooke vows not to let that happen, since she won't her daughter again. Eric isn't convinced that she, or Nick for that matter, can keep up that charade. Brooke insists her feelings for Nick are gone, but Eric knows better and thinks Brooke should, too. Just then, Dante drops in; he sees Brooke is busy and offers to come back, but Eric says they're done and leaves. Dante senses that the conversation he interrupted was about Bridget. She and Eric are just concerned about their daughter, she explains. If she's so concerned, Dante suggests, maybe she should stay away from Nick.

Bridget asks her father if he's hiding anything from her.
Eric returns to his office and finds Bridget there. He sees she looks tired and asks if she's OK. She says she didn't sleep well last night. He hoped she'd be more rested after talking with Brooke last night, he says. The problem, she explains, is that she got there and found Nick with her mom. She went into a long speech about how they're all family now, so her mom and Nick needn't walk on eggshells just for being together. Maybe it's the hormones, but she just feels out of whack. She asks her dad if she's missing something. She knows she betrayed Nick and hurt her mom by lying about the abortion, and she doesn't expect them to just instantly forgive her, but why does she keep walking in on her mom and her fiancee together. Eric suggests that Brooke, as one of the few who knows what happened between him, would be a natural choice for Nick to turn to. He's sure Nick will forgive her if he loves her. Bridget just wants their baby to be happy and to know that its parents are always there. And while she's trying to believe her mom and Nick that nothing's going on, she doesn't want to be naive. Eric is silent; Bridget sees that and asks why he won't talk to her. Is it because he's hiding something from her?

Bridget reminds Eric that he's talked a lot with her mom lately. She wonders if she needs professional help to deal with her insecurities. Eric tells her that she is one of the sanest people in this family. She tells him that Dante thinks she didn't give her mom and Nick enough time to act on their feelings. He sits her down and reminds her how she was ready to walk away from Nick if he was in love with Brooke. Is he saying that she should still do that, she asks, even though she's pregnant with Nick's child. Before they can continue, she gets paged to the hospital. Before she can leave, Eric asks her to hear him out. She's a bright woman, he says, so he wants her to keep her eyes open and come to him if she needs anything. She tells him she loves him and gives him a hug. He says he loves her too, more than she knows. She then leaves.

In Brooke's office, she assures Dante that nothing is going on between her and Nick. They even passed Bridget's test, she reminds him. That must have been difficult, Dante says, wondering how things would have turned out had the test gone on longer. Maybe she and Nick might have made love, he suggests. Brooke warns him to stay out of something that's not his business. He says he cares about Bridget. And that excuses his part in lying to Nick that his baby had been aborted? she asks. Dante reminds her that she and Nick drove her daughter into a competition over Nick, not him. Brooke says she loves her daughter and would never hurt her. Bridget's the one who needs that assurance, Dante said; he knows that because he's the one who saw how torn up Bridget was the night she found Brooke with Nick. It scares him to think that Bridget might go through that pain again. He then backs away, sensing he went too far. Brooke say it's OK; she knows he cares about Bridget and wants to help her, which is why they need to find a way to do that. Dante agrees and thinks the truth would be a good start. The truth, she says, is that what she and Nick shared is in the past, and she hopes Dante can help convince Bridget of that. He can, he says, if he's convinced it's the truth himself.

Dante has a suggestion for Brooke.
Just then, Dante gets a call on his cell from a gallery owner and goes to talk it. While he talks, Eric calls Brooke and tells her that Bridget was just there for his advice. He didn't tell her the truth, but he thinks they have to. She asks him to put Bridget at ease, but he doesn't see how he can. He thinks Dante might be able to convince Bridget, but Brooke would have to convince Dante first. He fears their only choice is to tell Bridget the truth. Brooke asks him for one more day to prove to Bridget that she's not a threat. He asks how she intends to do that; she says she can do it with just one more day and hangs up. She then says to herself that she'll get Dante to help her convince Bridget; it's the only way. Dante ends his call and apologizes for the interruption. Brooke says it's OK, since it have her time to think about her life. She sees now that she needs to clear her head. She asks how he does that. With sunshine, fresh air and chianti, he replies. And maybe some good company, Brooke suggests, asking Dante if he'd like to spend the afternoon with her. She thinks an afternoon in the sun with a handsome man is just what she needs.