Friday, September 29, 2006, Episode #4904

Nick tells Brooke that he trusts her.

Nick is downstairs at Brooke's house, on the phone with Bridget. Bridget tells him that she's at the hospital for a blood test, to confirm that there is a baby and to see if the child has a chance. Nick wants to be there, since this is his child. Bridget doesn't think it's necessary, but Nick asks her not to put him through what they went through with Nicole. Bridget relents and allows him to join her. Nick ends the call just as Brooke comes down; he tells her that he has coffee waiting. Brooke thanks him and goes on about their renewing their vows. She almost wishes they could do it every day. Nick agrees and asks what she has on her agenda today. She replies that she has a day booked at Forrester. All day? Nick asks. Brooke tells him not to worry, since Ridge is still away. Nick says that he wasn't thinking of Ridge; he explains that he trusts Brooke, so his days of asking her about what's going on at Forrester are in the past. Brooke is just sorry she put him in a position to ever ask those questions. They trade "I love yous" and say their goodbyes, and Brooke is then off to the office.

At the hospital, Bridget has a lab tech friend, Jerry, draw blood for her tests. As Jerry prepares the sample to be tested immediately, Felicia comes in, noting how hard it was to find Bridget. Bridget introduces her older sister to Jerry, who goes to get the tests run. Felicia asks what's with the tests. Bridget responds by asking Felicia why she's here; she hopes Felicia isn't sick again. Felicia asks, "Why is it every time I try to be nice, everybody thinks I'm sick?" She admits she's worried about Bridget and asks Bridget if she told her mom yet. Bridget says that she didn't, but she did tell Nick. Felicia asks how Nick reacted, since she knows Nick always wanted to be a father. It wasn't exactly what Nick had in mind, Bridget replies. Felicia can see why, since the timing of having this child is even more inconvenient than with most pregnancies. Bridget explains that she's having tests done to confirm the first one, and to see if the baby is viable. Felicia asks if this is a way to put off telling Brooke. Bridget replies that she just wants to be sure. Felicia asks what Bridget is hoping for - or does she even know?

Brooke is a bit annoyed by Eric's observations.

Brooke arrives at Forrester and finds Eric in her office with some models. After Eric dismisses the models, Brooke asks why he's using her office. Eric quips that he's trying to remember who she is. He then responds that he recalls now that she's their absentee CEO, and his ex-wife. He asks for forgiveness for "trespassing in the sanctuary," but he wanted to keep the dust from settling since she's never here - or at least she isn't when Ridge is around. Brooke assures Eric that Ridge is no longer a factor, but Eric isn't convinced. He still thinks she'll wake up, just like she does whenever she marries someone other than Ridge, and come to her senses, although he thought she was shortening the time between "I do" and "oops." Brooke tells him that she and Nick renewed their vows yesterday. Eric points out that most people do that after 40-50 years of marriage, not after ten minutes. Brooke tells him to believe what he wants, but she loves Nick. She guesses that she should know by now never to discuss Nick with someone named Forrester. That used to be her last name, Eric says, and it will be again. He can see that she loves Nick, but she also loved him when they were married. But then he realized that it wasn't meant to be for them, but she still belongs in the family with Ridge. After all, she is their centerpiece, who brought them life and children. And trouble, Brooke adds, at least according to Stephanie.

Eric and Felicia weigh in on Brooke's marriage.

Eric tells Brooke that Stephanie would accept her now, but Ridge has lost faith that he can have Brooke. Brooke thinks Ridge is happy with Donna, but Eric disagrees; he thinks Brooke should know how miserable people can pretend to be happy. Brooke says she does know, admitting how painful it is when RJ asks where his daddy is and she doesn't know. She and Ridge tried to have a life, but it didn't work. Because he made a mistake, Eric argues. "He left me," Brooke points out. Just then, Felicia arrives and overhears Eric tell Brooke that she ran to Nick for safety, just like she ran to him years ago. But how safe were they? Felicia comes in and greets their errant CEO, handing Brooke copies of Ridge's interviews with the foreign press. She then chimes in on the conversation Brooke and Eric were having; Felicia finds it ironic that Brooke should choose Nick as the "safe" choice, because she was attracted to Nick's dangerous side when they were together. She accuses Brooke of making Nick too predictable. Brooke thinks there's something to be said for stability. Felicia counters that if there's one thing she learned from her cancer, it's that nothing is sure is safe. Brooke says that she's sure Nick would never hurt her. Felicia and Eric both warn Brooke not have that kind of high expectation, since everyone lies or makes a mistake eventually. Felicia asks why someone as adventurous as Brooke would look for safety, anyway. She thinks Brooke needs a fellow adventurer, not a protector. Maybe Nick could fill that role, but Brooke will never know as long as she has him locked in that dependable image.

Felicia apologizes if she sounds obnoxious: it just comes out that way. Brooke says she'll be getting back to work now. Eric apologizes to Brooke for him and his daughter ganging up on her, but Brooke is used to it. Eric suggests that Brooke is making Ridge pay for the mistakes that Brooke's father made. Maybe she is, Brooke admits. Eric advises her to take a look at the role she's casting Nick in and asks what will happen when Nick makes a mistake. Brooke says she'll cross that bridge when she comes to it.

Nick arrives at the hospital to wait with Bridget for the test results. Nick suggests they get some coffee or wait in the hall, but Bridget thinks it's better if only a few people see them. Nick suggests they go to Tijuana and call themselves "Mr. and Mrs. Jones." Bridget is glad he can laugh, because she winds nothing amusing about the prospect of telling her mother about this pregnancy - that is, if they have to tell Brooke, because this second test might not confirm the first one. Nick tells her to stop: he refuses to consider that she isn't pregnant with his child, or that the baby will not be born healthy. Of course they both want that, Bridget says, but she reminds him of what losing Nicole did to their marriage. They'd still be together if not for that, Bridget says, although she still doesn't understand fully how things ended. Nick thinks she was entitled to be a little crazy after what they went through. Bridget recalls the emptiness she felt when they held the dead Nicole, but she was never able to fill that void. Nick tells her that their lives are different now, and this child is not Nicole. Maybe so, Bridget says, but she thinks he'd have to agree that things would be simpler of this test showed there was no child.