Thursday, January 25, 2007, Episode 4984

Jackie is miffed by Pam's behavior.

At the Forrester mansion, Pamela leads Jackie down the stairs, throwing Jackie's things after her. She can't believe Jackie would sneak into her sister's house to seduce her sister's husband. Jackie scoffs, "As if I care what you think, you drab little partridge!" Eric hears the commotion and comes down to play referee between Pam, who is enraged at Jackie's brazen intrusion on Stephanie's home and marriage, and Jackie, who thinks Pam has gone off the deep end.

Eric has a word with Jackie.

Eric reminds Pam that Jackie is his friend and asks for a moment alone with Jackie; Pam reluctantly agrees. Alone with Eric, Jackie still bristles at Pam's sanctimonious attitude, but Eric argues that Pamela was just protecting his virtue. Jackie thinks his virtue needs to be exposed, not protected, since he's been deprived for too long. Eric asks if she sees this as an errand of mercy, Jackie laughs that she does, since someone has to remind him what it's like to be with a real woman. She can't see why he still wants Stephanie, especially when she remembers what she and Eric shared. She leans toward him to kiss him, but Pam comes in and tells her not to even think about it! "I hate her!" Jackie fumes.

Pam holds her cheek in reaction to Eric's kiss.

After Jackie leaves, Pam apologizes to Eric for her behavior; it's just that she promised Stephanie she would keep an eye out, and... Eric thanks her for her concern. Pam is more concerned about where he and Steph stand with their marriage; she hopes he'll forgive her sister upon her return. Eric isn't sure about his marriage, but he will admit that having Pam spend time here has been like a tonic for him. Pam is just glad he didn't send her packing. "And leave me vulnerable to Jackie's feminine wiles?" Eric jokes. Seriously, he wants Pam to know that he respects her a lot. He knows it took a lot to spend 30 years caring for her mother, with no one ever giving her credit or help with Ann's care. He's especially impresses that she shows no resentment, even though she has every right to. He just wants her to know that she'll always have a place in this family. He kisses her on the cheek and says good night. Pam then holds her cheek in reaction to the kiss.

Bridget lays down the law with Nick and Taylor.

At Taylor's house, Bridget fumes at the sight of Taylor with Nick. Nick and Taylor both try to tell her that she's wrong about what she thinks she sees, but she thinks she does. She reminds Taylor that she's supposed to be a professional, not to mention that she's engaged to Bridget's brother Thorne. Nick again protests that Bridget is wrong, but Bridget is confident that she's right. She can't believe that Nick is so obsessed with revenge on his family that he would cross any line to get it. Nick tells her to calm down, but she knows what she saw. Taylor suggests that Bridget's perceptions about what she saw are being colored by her history with Nick, but Bridget says she's not stupid. In fact, she's kicking herself, because she actually defended Nick to her father, even though Nick stole Eric's life's work, and she even thought there might be a chance for her and Nick to reunite. But after what she saw here, she has to wonder if the man she fell in love even exists anymore. Taylor tries to explain, but Bridget doesn't want to hear the excuse that "therapy" brought Taylor and Nick closer. She empathizes with what Nick went through as a child, but she doesn't think that can compare to what Aly is going through now. That's what really shocks her about this. Even if nothing is going on, she can't believe that neither Taylor nor Nick can see that they're playing with fire. She doesn't know how much heartbreak Thorne or Aly can endure, which is why she's putting her foot down: these meetings and "sessions" have to stop for Thorne and Aly's sakes, she insists. For them to continue would be cruel, and she doesn't want to think of either of them that way.

Bridget turns to leave. Nick calls out for her to wait and thanks her. Bridget says that she should be thanking him, too: she's been trying to find a reason to let him go, and now she has it. With that said, Bridget leaves,

Nick and Taylor admit Bridget was right.

Taylor and Nick go out on the terrace, where Taylor wonders how Bridget can see so clearly what she and Nick have obviously been denying. Maybe she just didn't want to see it, but her feelings for Nick are more than a doctor's for her patient. She's attracted to him, but she has been denying it. Because she's trying to do the right thing for Thorne and Aly, Nick states. He thinks it was easy to fall for her, since she is so selfless and beautiful. But he guesses that timing is everything, and that's why he knows this can't happen. Taylor tells him that neither one of them was the bad guy here; she knows he really cared when he told her that she was marrying Thorne out of guilt. He still isn't sure that she isn't. Taylor says that she does love Thorne, and she has to do what's right. At the same time, she can't deny her attraction to Nick, but... But it wasn't meant to be, Nick laments. Taylor says she'll always cherish their friendship. Nick embraces her one last time, hoping Thorne knows what a special woman he has.

Ridge and Brooke are surprised by the arrival of...

At Brooke's house, Brooke and R.J. watch as Hope beats "Daddy Ridge" at checkers. Hope and Ridge go back and forth about his being a sore loser, but they're interrupted by the doorbell. Brooke and Hope race to answer it and are surprised to find Rick (now played by Kyle Lowder) standing there! Brooke is glad to see her older son, but Rick wonders if she'll still feel that way when he tells her why he's here. After Brooke and Ridge but the kids down, they sit down to catch up with Rick. He laments that he had to leave his job and Paris and his life there, after he invested so much time at Forrester International. Ridge quips that Rick has "that sailor turned wannabe fashion mogul, Popeye Marone" to thank, but Rick contends that Ridge and Stephanie are equally to blame after the way they humiliated Jackie. Ridge argues that the Marones started this war, so he doesn't see how they could avoid fighting back. Fighting back is one thing, Rick argues, but the way they went about it was wrong. Brooke asks Rick not to dwell on it; the fact is, Forrester Creations is now part of their past, so they all need to come together and make Forrester Originals a success. She hopes Rick will want to be part of that, and she's sure Ridge would agree. She looks to Ridge for some sign of agreement - but before Ridge can respond, Bridget comes in and is thrilled to see her bug brother. Bridget hugs Rick, who thinks Bridget looks good, too. He asks if she has a new man in her life. She says she doesn't, but she's open to the possibility now and it feels great.

...Rick (now played by Kyle Lowder).

Soon after, Bridget gets paged and has to leave. Ridge goes upstairs and gives Rick and Brooke some time alone. Rick asks his mom if Ridge might have had another reason for going up, since he admits he pushed Ridge's buttons before. Brooke senses he might have had a reason to do that and asks what's going on. Rick knows she might not want to hear this, but he's not happy about her being with Ridge again after Ridge has hurt her so many times before. Brooke argues that things are different, but Rick says he's heard that before, too. He knows she saw Rick as the great love of her life, but she had something good going with Nick, and he wants to know what happened there. Brooke says it's complicated, which Rick takes to mean that Ridge butted in again. Brooke says it's not like that; she finally realized that Ridge is the man she's committed to, and she knows things will be different this time. Rick feels like he heard that before, and he remembers what it was like for her when Ridge walked out on her and R.J. to go back to Taylor. On top of that, he keeps thinking about Stephanie; he knows things seems to be good between his mom and Stephanie now, but he wonders how long it will be before Stephanie turns on her again, as she's done before. He wants Brooke to understand that he just doesn't want her to be hurt, and he warns that Ridge will have to answer to him if even thinks about hurting Brooke again. Brooke smiles and thanks him...