Friday, April 21, 2006, Episode #4791

Nick tells Brooke that he gave his Marone ring back to Massimo.

Brooke is on the Shady Marlin, trying to track down Nick. Frantic that she can't find him, she takes one of the sedatives her doctor prescribed to try and calm herself down. She then gets a call on her cell phone from Ridge, who wants to come to the house. He wants to talk about the breakthrough she had with her father and how it affects their own relationship. Brooke reminds him that she already said she's not ready to talk about that. Ridge tries to press the issue, but Brooke hears footsteps and ends the call just as Nick enters the cabin. He tells her that they were right that Massimo was behind Jackie's arrest and informs her that he gave Massimo the Marone ring back. He adds that his old man must have someone else doing the dirty work for him, and he intends to find out who that is.

Massimo wants immediate results from Ridge.

Massimo gets a call on his red phone from Megan, who is in Brooke's living room. She wants to see Mass, who says he must deal with Dominick first. Megan offers to talk to Brooke and convince her that she belongs with Ridge; Mass tells her to do nothing, as he does not want to place her at risk. Ridge comes in, so Mass ends the call and turns his attention to his older son, who sees the broken glass on the floor. Mass says that Nick was angry that he took Ridge's side with Brooke; Ridge thinks Nick is acting like a spoiled child. Mass agrees, but he reminds Ridge that Nick can cause a lot of trouble. Ridge offers to talk to Nick, but Mass says he will handle his younger son, who is so emotional that he even accused Mass of being responsible for Jackie's legal woes. Ridge can see where Nick would think that, rather than admit his mother was laundering money. Mass tells Ridge to forget about that and focus on Brooke. He asks Ridge how things are going on that front. Ridge tells Mass how he brought Stephen Logan to L.A. to work out his issues with Brooke; he's sure that will soon yield results that will win Brooke back. Mass asks how soon; when Ridge says he's not sure, Mass orders him to reconcile with Brooke tonight! Ridge thinks that's possible, but Mass won't accept any delay. He wants Ridge to be together with Brooke by tomorrow morning.

Brooke comes home and finds Megan in her living room. She asks Megan why she's here. Megan replies that she had to talk to Brooke, because she feels like her best friend is making a mistake with Nick. She knows Brooke is mad at Ridge, but she's seen how much Ridge loves her. Brooke asks if Ridge did it out of love, or if it was just to distract her from Nick. Megan asks what "it" is, so Brooke tells her how Ridge brought her dad back from Paris. Megan is surprised, since Brooke has not seen her father in years. Brooke says that she didn't want to see Stephen now, either, until she saw him talking with Hope, telling her how much he loved his own little girl. Brooke realized then how much she really cared for her dad, which led to them hugging. Maybe she and Stephen can work out their issues, she guesses. Megan suggests that Brooke look at Ridge's actions; he knew that forcing a reunion between Brooke and her estranged father might have blown up in his face, but he took the risk anyway to help Brooke. Brooke recalls how Ridge always says he knows her better than she knows herself and wonders if he's right.

Eric's visit enlightens Nick.

On the Marlin, Nick is on the phone with the head of Marone Industries security about any special projects Massimo might have security working on. When the security chief says there are none, Nick thanks him and hangs up, just as Eric comes aboard. Eric wanted to find out how Jackie is; Nick admits she's scared, even though she's trying to hide it. Eric tells Nick to let him know if there's anything he can do. Nick thanks him for the offer, and for sending Megan over to help with those orders. Eric says that he didn't send Megan over. Nick says that he assumed Megan used Eric's key to get into the boutique. Eric says that he doesn't have a key and guesses that an employee must have let Megan in. Nick asks Eric how well he knows Megan; Eric replies that she's worked for Forrester for years and has always been close to the family, and especially Brooke. He suggests that Nick is preoccupied with Jackie's woes and misunderstood what Megan said. Maybe, Nick says. Eric then leaves, as Nick wonders just what Megan is up to.

Brooke listens to Nick's instructions about Megan.

At Brooke's, Megan reminds Brooke that Ridge will always be in her life. That doesn't mean they can have a future together, Brooke says. Megan reminds Brooke that Ridge has always made her happy, and no matter how many times they drift apart, they always come together again. She's sure it will happen again. Before Brooke can answer, she gets a call from Nick, who needs her to do something. When Brooke says she's busy with Megan, Nick tells her not to let Megan know who she's on the phone with. He reminds her how he ran into Megan the other day and recalls that Megan said she used Eric's key to get in, but Eric just told him that he doesn't have a key. He instructs Brooke to ask Megan to pick something for work up from Jackie M and see how she responds. He then tells Brooke that he's on his way and hangs up. Brooke then tells Megan she has to go to the office; Megan hugs her and asks her to think about what they talked about. Brooke then asks Megan to pick up their couture gowns from Jackie M. But they're closed, Megan says. Brooke says she thought Megan had a key, since Nick saw her at the boutique the other night. Megan says that she used Eric's key, but she returned it. Brooke says she'll take care of it herself as Megan leaves.

Brooke takes another sedative just before Nick arrives. When she tells him that Megan lied about the key, Nick guesses that Megan planted the evidence the feds found on his mother's computer. He bets that his pop is in on it. Brooke starts to hyperventilate over everything going on with Jackie, Ridge, Massimo, Stephen and now Megan. Nick tells her to hang on just a little while longer. She says she will as he leaves.

Ridge makes his case to Brooke, not knowing she's sedated.

Alone, Brooke starts to fret over everything that's going on. She's so upset that she takes yet another pill. Just then, Ridge arrives; he wants her to admit that he was right about her issues with her dad. He thinks it was great to watch her finally connect with her father over their issues. Maybe now she can get past all that. It's possible, Brooke concedes. Ridge asks if she's angry with him. She says she isn't. He puts his hands on her shoulders and tells her that he wants to be there with her as she works things out. Brooke isn't sure, but Ridge says it's not just about her relationship with her dad. It's about her relationship, too. Brooke, starting to feel the effects of the sedatives, looks tired as she mumbles, "About us." Ridge touches her shoulders and hair and says it's always been about them. Everything, Brooke mumbles. But now they can get past it and start fresh, Ridge says. Brooke feels confused, but Ridge promises that it will all be OK now. Brooke says she doesn't want to talk now; Ridge agrees, since he doesn't think they need to talk to connect. In fact, he thinks using words to connect has been the problem. He kisses her forehead and says that this is all they need. She says no; he takes that to mean she doesn't need any more explanations or promises. This, he says as he kisses her, is what she needs, and it's what he needs, too. He kisses her and holds her close.