Thursday, April 20, 2006, Episode #4790

Sally doesn't take kindly to Megan's advice.

At Forrester, Megan asks Sally about some phone calls Sally was supposed to make. Sally gets a bit defensive when Megan has a suggestion or criticism on each one. When Megan offers to make one of the calls, Sally bluntly says she can handle it. Stephanie tells Sally not to be so touchy and changes the subject, asking Megan about the potential impact on Forrester sales to Jackie M if Jackie gets convicted. Megan seems a bit flustered in responding. Sensing something wrong, Stephanie sends Sally to make a phone call.

Stephanie asks Megan if she's not happy.

Once she's alone with Megan, the Forrester matriarch asks Megan what's going on. She senses Megan isn't happy with her recent promotion. Megan assures Stephanie that she's grateful for the new job, but Stephanie says it's not about gratitude. It's about best efforts, and she doesn't feel like she is getting that from Megan. Megan admits that's true; she appreciates that Stephanie has acknowledged her dedication to the company my giving her more responsibility and money, but... Stephanie says that she promoted Megan not because of longevity, but because she always thought Megan's talents and abilities were unappreciated. And Megan appreciates that, but even with less responsibility, she always liked how her old job put her in the center of the energy and creativity. So she misses all the action up here on the Executive level? Stephanie asks.

Megan wonders if it's time to move on from Forrester.

Megan admits that she misses the action up her, and even more so, she really misses being close to the Forrester family. The conversation then turns to Brooke, as Megan suggests that even Stephanie has to admit that Ridge and Brooke have great chemistry. Stephanie doesn't care to respond to that right now and wants to get back to talking about Megan's job. Megan wonders if maybe, after all her years here, she just needs to focus her energy elsewhere, to see if there's life outside these walls. Stephanie asks if she is thinking of leaving. Megan suggests that Forrester may not be the right place to be for her, but she also can't imagine anyplace else, either. She's not really sure what her future holds. Stephanie advises her not to rush into something. She then asks Megan if she is seeing someone new. Megan admits she is seeing someone new, but they're trying to keep it just between the two of them for now, to see how it works out. Stephanie hopes Megan's new man is a very nice guy.

Brooke is at home, talking to her doctor about some sedative he's prescribed, since she not used to taking such medication. As she ends the call, Nick comes in and asks if she's OK; she says she's just shaky after seeing her dad. Nick wonders why Forrester would even bring her dad back. She explains that Ridge wants to heal her "abandonment issues" by bringing back a man who was worse to her than Ridge was, to make Ridge look good in comparison. One thing became clear from the encounter, she states; she tells Nick that it made her see how lucky she is to have him. She tells him that she sent her dad back to Paris. Nick hopes that was a wise move. He then reminds her about his pop working with Ridge to keep them apart; he guesses Mass and Ridge just don't know that's not possible. He then says he has a bull to wrestle with, but he hates to leave her in case Ridge and her dad come back. She says she will be okay and tells him to go "wrestle that bull."

Nick confronts his old man.

Nick then heads for Marone, where he barges into Massimo's office and asks if Mass has gotten Jackie out of jail. Mass says his son is flattering him by suggesting he could do that overnight, with the courts closed. Nick says it's not about flattery, but it's about getting his mother out of jail. Mass says that he's not the one standing in the way of Jackie's freedom. Nick says he is NOT leaving Brooke. Mass pours himself a drink and laments the strife in his family, including Jackie's arrest. Nick says it will be Mass's own fault if the Marone family falls apart, because of his obsessive need for control. He wants his mother released and Ridge to back off. Mass says he's just saving the family, but Nick laughs at that notion. He can't see how Mass can choose one son over the other and then blame his [Nick's] love life for the family's problems. Mass says that Ridge and Nick are equals. Nick disagrees, since Ridge will always be a Forrester at heart. As for him, he's always been proud of the Marone name, even before he knew he was part of the family. He learned that "Marone" stood for honor and loyalty, but he can't see the honor in his old man interfering with his relationship with Brooke. He points to all the Marone busts in the room and scatters photos around, asking if these are the things Mass needs to "protect" by keeping him and Brooke apart. He wants no part of it, so he removes his Marone ring and gives it to Mass. This dynasty is all garbage, he tells his pop. Mass responds by slapping him! He's incensed at Nick's comments. Nick reminds Mass, "I gave you a chance to save yourself, and you didn't take it. Remember that." He storms out. Alone Mass picks up the ring Nick left behind chokes back his tears.

Hope meets her Grandpa Stephen.

Ridge lets himself and Stephen into Brooke's house. Stephen tells Ridge that he wants to help Brooke, but he thinks another confrontation might make things worse. Ridge doesn't think it can get worse than Brooke being with Nick. He thinks that Brooke just wasn't ready to hear what Stephen had to say yesterday. Stephen wonders if she'd be more receptive today. That's why they're here, Ridge says. He goes to find Brooke. Stephen starts looking around as Hope comes into the room. Realizing who Hope is, he tells her that he's her grandpa, her mommy's father. Grandpa from Paris, she says. He guesses that her mom has told her about him. Mommy said he was busy over there. Yes, Stephen says, he was, but he admits that's a poor excuse for not visiting sooner. He hopes he can make that up to her. She shows him a picture she drew from her pirate adventure. That reminds Stephen of how he used to take Brooke camping. Hope says her mom told her about that; she said she was Stephen's "night bird." Night owl, Stephen corrects, laughing. He recalls how they would stay up and watch the stars, and Brooke could do whatever she wanted, since she was so much smarter than him. She had a sense of wonder that he sees in Hope, too. Brooke comes down and overhears that last comment. Hope asks Stephen if he can come camping with them next time. Stephen says he'd like that, but Brooke steps in and says that won't be possible, since Grandpa will be going back to Paris. She tells Hope to say her good-bye's and go find Catherine while the grown-ups talk. Hopes hugs him and leaves. Stephen tells Brooke that Hope is so beautiful, so much like her. She's glad he enjoyed meeting Hope because it is will never happen again.

Ridge asks Brooke to hear her father out.

Stephen is pleased that Brooke told Hope about their camping trips. Brooke says she couldn't tell Hope the truth. She enjoyed camping, Stephen recalls. Brooke agrees; it's just too bad he abandoned her and wasn't around to take her camping after that. Ridge points out that Stephen is here now. An angry Brooke asks Ridge why he brought her dad back. Ridge thinks she and Stephen need to talk. She comments that Nick warned her this might happen. Ridge says that he just wanted to help her, but Brooke retorts that he and Stephen only want to help themselves. Ridge thinks this problem affects all of them, so they should face it together. Brooke shouts that she HAS faced it, every day of her life. Ridge says it's time to patch that up. Brooke cries that it's not about her, but about another little girl here who looked to Ridge as a father; Ridge abandoned that girl, just like Stephen abandoned her, but now he wants them both back. But it isn't going to happen, she states. She'll be damned to let that happen again!