Thursday, December 28 2006, Episode 4965

Taylor is furious to see Stephanie standing in her office door, eavesdropping on her making confidential notes on a patient session. Stephanie says that she didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she guesses that today is her lucky day, since she now knows that Jacqueline Payne is a whore who turned tricks for the entire navy. She's giddy with excitement that she has the ammunition she needs to get Forrester back, just as Taylor promised. She can use that to blackmail Nick and Jackie, just as they blackmailed Stephanie's family into giving up the company. Taylor shouts at Stephanie, "No. You heard nothing!" She reminds Stephanie that what she overheard is privileged information. Stephanie shakes her head in disbelief, since Taylor promised to use what she found out in Nick's therapy sessions to get the company back. By getting him to cope with his past, Taylor explains, not by revealing privileged information in a way that could cost her her license to practice. Stephanie vows to testify to anyone that she simply overheard Taylor, but Taylor points out that the information is still private, just as Stephanie's therapy sessions about her abuse were. Stephanie argues that her case is different, as there's nothing to be gained from knowledge of her past. This, however, is a case of an eye for an eye. And it's wrong! a frustrated Taylor shouts.

Taylor gives Stephanie a warning.

Stephanie is shocked that Taylor would defend "Nicky" and "the whore," who stole the company from the very family Taylor is about to marry into again. Taylor is more shocked that the "new and improved Stephanie" who she helped is so insensitive. Stephanie promises to help some orphans if Taylor tells her about Captain Kramer. Taylor tells Stephanie that there is nothing more to discuss. She's Stephanie's friend. She helped Stephanie reclaim her childhood. And yes, she IS family. That's why she is ordering Stephanie not to say a word about what she heard. She warns Stephanie, "I swear, if you say anything, I will never do another thing to help you with this company, and any relationship that you and I have ever had is over."

Jackie admits that she took money from several sea captains for sex.

Aboard the Shady Marlin, Jackie rues the day Nicky brought Jerry Kramer into their lives. Nick says he brought Kramer into their home, while she brought the man into their lives. Jackie admits that she slept with Kramer. And Captains May and Pinciotti? Nick asks. Jackie admits she slept with them, too. Nick recalls one more. Captain Heiselmann, Jackie recalls. "No first mates for you," Nick quips. Jackie says she was lonely, and she did the best she could. She was a sheltered, spoiled English girl who only knew how to present herself, and she hated it, so she rebelled by marrying a man like Frank Payne. Her family disowned her. Then Frank died, and she had no idea how to get by. So when Jerry Kramer gave her the means to put bread on her table, she took it, and she slept with the others too - and she did it for the money. Nick says he used to fantasize that Kramer would become part of their family; he can't see why Kramer wouldn't fall for someone as elegant as his mother. Jackie admits she had the same fantasy. She recalls one night he brought Kramer to their home. After she put Nick to bed, she was alone with Kramer, who looked at her with "that look men get," and she feared he might not come back again. So she slept with the Captain. When they were done, he said she was the most elegant woman he'd ever been with and slipped her some money. She refused to take it, but Kramer convinced her to take it for her little boy. So she took it. And with the country in recession, and with her not having a job, she did it again when the chance arose.

Nick fumes at his mother's confession.

Nick tells his mother they had other options. He would have lived on the street and eaten in soup kitchens if they had to, because he had his pride. But his spoiled, English mother couldn't do that, so she let Kramer in again. Jackie admits it got easier after the first time. Then one night, Captain May came by with flowers and a gift for Nick. When May gave her the money at the end, she was stunned to see how much her son was worth. Nick asks how much he was worth, but then takes it back, furious that Kramer pimped his mother out to the other captains like she was just a whore. Nick realizes that he came to think that his mother cared about those men more than him, so he left when he could. Jackie says that she didn't want him to leave. She eventually stopped drinking and moved, in order to throw herself into her crappy job to regain a little self respect. She stops, because she can't talk about this anymore. Nick reminds her that he promised when he left to always love her and to be there for her. But he made that promise to someone who doesn't exist anymore. Dejected, Jackie leaves.

Soon after, Taylor boards the Marlin and finds a somber Nick sorting through some papers. He asks why she came back. She tells him that she was worried about him and suggests that he might not want to tell his mother about what he remembered tonight. Nick tells her that it's too late, since he already confronted his mother. He admits that Taylor was right about her theories about his strict code of conduct. But right now, this therapy stuff isn't working for him, since he doesn't think talking will change the fact that he's a man without a child, a lover or parents. At least his mother didn't lie, even though she claimed to have done it for him. He suggests that he must have let his mother do it if what she said was true. Taylor reminds him that he was just a child, but Nick wonders how an attempt to make someone's life better could make no difference at all. Taylor can't answer that. Nick asks her what she wants. Taylor replies that she didn't like the way he looked when she left, so she thought he might need her. Nick thinks it's too late to rescue him, so she should leave and go save someone worth saving. Taylor responds by offering a hug and telling him that it's OK.