Tuesday, March 21, 2006, Episode #4768

Stephanie hesitates when Ridge tells her to accept that Felicia is gone.

Stephanie is in the Forrester CEO's office, talking on the phone with Dr. Ramirez. The doctor tells her that he started Felicia's chemo last night, but it's too early to tell how she'll respond. Stephanie asks if the chances of a liver transplant will be better if the chemo takes. Ramirez assures her that he's doing everything he can. The rest, he warns, is up to Felicia. Stephanie thanks him and ends the call. Ridge drops by to see her. He embraces her and explains that he wants to tell her about Brooke. Stephanie admits that she hasn't even thought about Brooke lately. That's because she's still grieving for Felicia, he suggests. He worries that she's barely spoken to him since Felicia passed and reminds her that he feels her loss, too, since Felicia was his baby sister. He thinks that they both have to accept that she's gone and move on, so they can heal. The healing has already begun, she says, but Ridge senses that she is still hanging on. Let Felicia be at peace, he advises. She wants Felicia to be peaceful, but...

Ridge tells Stephanie that he plans to fix things with Brooke.

Stephanie assures Ridge that the family will pull together. That family includes Brooke, he reminds her. She thinks Nick might disagree. Ridge doesn't care; he's sure that when the dust settles, Brooke will be back in his arms. He wants Stephanie to keep her distance from Brooke. She reminds him that she wasn't the one who carted his bride upstairs in the middle of his wedding. Ridge promises that he'll "deal" with Nick. Has he tried to talk to Brooke/ Stephanie asks. Ridge tells her that Brooke is still angry with him. But it's more than that, Stephanie points out, reminding him how Bridget wanted Nick to stop the wedding. But he and Brooke were sorting things out, Ridge reminds her. She can't believe that a proud man like him would want Brooke back after she put him through the indignity of letting Nick disrupt the wedding. Ridge reminds his mom that he's the one who hurt Brooke first by walking out on her and RJ, and that's what opened the door for Nick. He put the welcome mat out for that guy, and now he intends to fix it. Stephanie just shakes her head in disbelief.

Taylor takes Nick up on his offer.

On the Shady Marlin, Taylor drops by with breakfast for Nick and finds him looking at the sonogram photo of Nicole. She points out that he would still be with Bridget had Nicole lived. But now Bridget has set him free. She has, Nick agrees, noting that Bridget has drawn up divorce papers. Women have changed their minds about those, Taylor points out. Nick knows that Bridget is sure about this, but he isn't as sure about Brooke. Taylor asks if she thinks Brooke can live with knowing that her being with Nick could hurt Bridget. Brooke loves Bridget more than anything, Nick replies - and that's why he ISN'T sure Brooke will want him now. Taylor asks if he believes Bridget when she says she's OK with this. Brooke will sense it if Bridget doesn't mean it, he notes. Taylor thinks that's a compliment coming from him. Nick reminds her that when she was gone, Brooke cared for her own kids and Taylor's, and she never complained once. Taylor has to admit that Brooke has grown up. And she puts her kids first, Nick states. Taylor can see from Nick's attitude that Nick is crazy about Brooke. He admits that he is. She thinks that's nice to see. She then tells him that she's decided to accept his offer of help. She's starting to see that he's a man who means what he says, so after her self-medicating, she's ready to be treated by the best. Is she talking about herself? he asks. In a way, she thinks she is, since she knows she's messed up and is getting help. She thinks how their friendship formed is interesting. You can't have too many friends, Nick says. Taylor tells him that she never believed that any man could replace Ridge in Brooke's heart, even after first hearing about the heroic captain. But now she realizes what Brooke sees in him. He smiles and gives her a high five. Taylor leaves.

Bridget assures her mother that she's sure about her decision.

Brooke drops by the beach house and finds Bridget still packing Nick's things. Bridget asks her to take them to Nick, but Brooke thinks it would be better if Bridget did it. Bridget tells Brooke about her run in with Ridge the night of Brooke's "almost-wedding" and asks her mom who she spent the night with. Brooke assures her that she spent the night alone, because so much was happening. Bridget wonders what her mom is waiting for; her marriage is over, she reminds Brooke. Brooke thinks everything has been so confusing since Nicole's death, so she wonders if Bridget is really sure about her decision. Bridget admits it's confusing, but the one thing she's sure of is Nick's love for Brooke. But she and Nick love her, too, Brooke points out, asking Bridget again if she's sure. Bridget assures her mom that she sees that she has to move on with her life, just as Brooke and Nick need to with theirs. Still, Brooke doesn't want to make any mistakes by rushing things. Nick isn't a mistake, Bridget says. Brooke points out that Bridget is still Nick's wife, so Bridget shows her the divorce papers. She thinks it's time she stopped going through life loving men in love with her mother, and she wants Brooke to be happy. Brooke thinks it's complicated, but Bridget doesn't think it has to be. Brooke asks how she got so lucky to have a daughter like Bridget. Bridget then asks for one favor: the divorce won't be final for six months, so she asks her mom to be discrete with Nick until then. Brooke says that she can't completely be with Nick while he's still Bridget's husband. Bridget gets what she's saying and says that's not necessary, but Brooke wants to do this for Bridget. Bridget thanks her.

Brooke asks Nick if they can really be together.

Brooke drops by the Marlin and tells Nick that she just saw Bridget. Nick asks how Bridget was. She's OK, Brooke says nervously, and she wants them to be together. "And what do you want?" Nick asks. Stepping onto the boat, Brooke asks if he thinks they can really be together. They've tried not being together, he reminds her, and it hasn't helped Bridget. He then asks why she came to the boat last night. She says she doesn't know, but he thinks she does. Brooke pauses, worrying that this is happening too fast. She asks how she's supposed to be happy at the cost of making her little girl unhappy. Bridget has made what she wants clear, Nick responds, so the rest is up to the two of them. Is it? she asks. Nick thinks so. Brooke sighs that she wants to be with him so badly. She tells him that Bridget has divorce papers. He says that he knows and is ready to sign them. Brooke just can't believe this is happening and asks Nick to help her believe that it's for real.