Friday, September 01, 2006, Episode #4886

Taylor tells Stephanie that she is letting Hector stay with her.

Taylor shows Hector to the room he'll be staying in - it looks like Thomas's room - and helps him navigate around the room. Hector wonders if he'll ever get used to this, because every step he takes feels like a challenge. Taylor says he's doing great. Hector wants to put his dark glasses back on, but Taylor assures him that he looks perfect. Hector confesses that all the crazy things he did were because of how he feels about Taylor. Before Taylor can respond, she hears the doorbell and goes to answer it. At the door, she finds Stephanie, who admits she was worried after Thorne called earlier and was suddenly cut off. Taylor checks the phone and it's fine. Since she's here, Stephanie wants to talk to Taylor about Thorne. Since Thorne told her about the kiss, she wants to know what Taylor's intentions toward her son. Taylor doesn't think she has to explain anything, but she genuinely cares about Thorne. Stephanie is glad to hear that; she thinks Thorne needs to move on, so she's grateful that Taylor has helped him do that. Taylor won't take all the credit for that, but she thinks Thorne will find happiness in time. Stephanie then sees the white cane Hector left near the sofa and asks about it. When Taylor reveals that she's allowed Hector to stay here, Stephanie fears that the fireman is taking advantage again and bolts upstairs.

Hector faces off with the Forrester matriarch.

Upstairs, Hector recalls Taylor saying he looked perfect earlier; he wonders if she can love a man who can't even see her. Stephanie knocks on the door and comes in; Hector thinks it's Taylor, but he realizes that who it is when Stephanie asks how he's feeling. "Tired. Blind," he replies. Stephanie responds that no one is sorrier than her about what happened to him, except Taylor - and that's why he's in this house, even though it's the wrong place to be. Wrong for who? Hector asks. For everyone, Stephanie says, again offering to send Hector to the institute in Minnesota. Just then, Taylor comes in; she tells Stephanie that Hector doesn't want to live in a facility. Stephanie still thinks this is the wrong place for him, as his being here is a recipe for disaster. Hector rolls his eyes and accuses Stephanie of doing whatever she must to put Taylor with Thorne, even if that's not right for Taylor. Stephanie counters by accusing Hector of whining to get Taylor to take him in. Taylor steps in and says that she offered to let Hector stay here while he adjusts to his blindness. Before she can go further, the doorbell rings, so she goes to answer it. Alone with Hector, Stephanie tells him to leave. She won't let him play on Taylor's goodness and thinks he's sad to try. He quips that people like her thinks everyone else works like they do. She retorts, "Don't even try to get on the same racetrack with me. You haven't got the horsepower or the stamina." She thinks it's very simple: Thorne needs Taylor in his life. And that's how it's going to be.

Nick can't believe that Brooke wants to confront Ridge now.

At Brooke's place, she is shocked that Ridge just declared his love for Donna and then kissed her on national TV. Nick guesses Ridge did it for the publicity. But it was disgusting, Brooke fumes. Nick agrees and cites this as an example of why he doesn't want Brooke involved with that family's business. Brooke says she has to talk to Ridge, to keep him from using her sister. Nick can't believe that his newlywed wife wants to leave their bedroom right now, at night, to confront her ex about a kiss. Brooke fears that this will make a mockery out of the company. Nick doesn't get it; first it's about Donna, and now it's about Forrester Creations? He suggests Brooke get some sleep and deal with this in the morning with a clear head, but she has to do this now. Nick calls out for her not to leave, but Brooke leaves anyway.

Ridge and Donna try to explain.

Ridge and Donna arrive at the Forrester mansion, giddy with excitement over what happened on "The Rich Ginger Show." Donna asks Ridge if it was all real. Ridge admits he plays to the crowd as means to sell Forrester's fashions, but he assures her that he meant everything he said about her. It was fun to get some publicity in the process, but he meant it when he said that she's inspired him in ways he hasn't been for years. "And nothing like my sister?" Donna asks. Ridge can't deny that he's still dealing with losing Brooke. Donna offers to help speed up that process and they kiss - and just then, Brooke storms in, slamming the door! She asks how they could disregard her express wishes that they not got involved personally. Donna doesn't think Brooke has the right to... Brooke cuts Donna off and says this is between her and Ridge, who was trying to make her jealous. Ridge says that isn't what he wanted to do, and he promises that this was no stunt. Brooke has a hard time believing that from the king of stunts, but Ridge counters by pointing out that she married Nick, despite his attempts to convince her not to. So this is about payback? Brooke answers. Ridge says it's about moving on and having a life without her, and about an exciting woman who has brought him joy and amped up his creativity. Donna tries to assure Brooke that no one wants to hurt her, but Brooke just wants her sister to leave, so she can have a moment alone with Ridge.

Brooke asks Ridge how he can move on with her sister.

Alone with Ridge, Brooke asks him how he could pick her sister to move on with. He suggests that fate brought him and Donna together, just as Brooke always believed fate brought the two of them together. But then Brooke ruined it by marrying Nick. Brooke tells him that HE ruined it. She finally felt safe that they'd be together for the rest of their lives, and she trusted him with her daughter and their son. But then he left her for Taylor. Ridge says he never expected Taylor to come back. No one did, Brooke says: but it happened. And then they found out how Stephanie tried to manipulate him, but even then, he stayed with Taylor and left her, just as her father left her when she was a little girl - a little girl who still lives inside her. Ridge asks her to stop making excuses and be honest with him; he doesn't think she would feel this strongly if she didn't want their life back. Brooke admits she still loves him. She always wanted to be his Logan, and he was and always will be the great love of her life. But she's married to Nick now. Ridge can't believe that Nick does it for her. It's different, she says, because it's more grounded. It's boring! Ridge says. Brooke says it's reliable, and she loves Nick very much. Ridge says this is a waste. He was torn between his two families and made the wrong choice, and he's been beating himself up ever since. That may be, Brooke says, but it's still too late.

Bridget finds Nick on the Shady Marlin.

Back at Brooke's, Nick calls Catherine over to keep an eye on the kids. Catherine arrives and asks if Brooke is working late. Nick says he's not sure where his wife is and informs the nanny that he'll be on his boat. He soon arrives at the Shady Marlin, swigging beer down as he comments on the "lived in look" Harry's left the place in. He takes out a bottle of whiskey and takes a swig. Soon after, Bridget comes aboard and calls out for Nick; Nick calls for her to come in and offers her some booze, but she turns him down. He decides to have hers and takes another drink. Bridget explains that she saw Aunt Donna kissing Ridge on TV as her shift ended. As she was driving home, she saw the lights on at The Marlin, so she stopped, thinking he or her mom was here. Nick tells her that her mom also saw that TV show and then rushed out to "address the situation" with Ridge - all to protect her business and little sister, of course. Bridget is about to say she's sorry when Nick decides they should find out what happened next. He picks up the phone and calls Donna to get her opinion on what happened when Brooke got there. Donna tells him that Brooke busted in like a freight train and told her to get lost so she could talk to Ridge alone. Nick asks what the freight train is doing now. She guesses they're talking.

Inside, Ridge tells Brooke it's not too late. He's not her father. He left her for a month, not years. And he never stopped loving her. She tells him to stop, but he says he wants her back, and he's not waiting another second. He then leans in and kisses her!