Thursday, November 08, 2007, Episode #5184

Eric discusses his fashion show plans with Donna.

Eric and Donna are in his office, looking over photos of Eric for the new ad campaign proclaiming that "The Boss is Back" at Forrester Creations. As Donna praises Eric on being so suave, he thanks her for being so understanding about his decision to take his bow on the runway at the fashion show with the woman he wants to be with. Donna likes the idea of settling things on the runway, just as Ridge did so many times; she guesses that Ridge got the idea from Eric. Eric asks if she thinks it's cold of him to do this; Donna admits it seems dramatic, but she thinks he deserves his time in the spotlight, no matter which woman he chooses. Eric asks why her he couldn't have met her 40 years ago. Donna laughs that a a psychic in San Francisco said she ran a Chinese laundry in a previous life, so maybe she pressed his shirts. Maybe she did, Eric whispers as he starts to kiss her, but they're interrupted when Felicia barges in. Eric reminds his daughter that this is a private office, but Felicia says that she thought he'd want to know that Nick Marone is in the building asking questions. "Stand up to him, Daddy!" Felicia urges.

Nick makes sure Eric is holding up his part of their agreement.

Just then, Nick enters his former office and asks Eric if he's going to divorce Stephanie, as they agreed. Eric informs Nick that Stephanie isn't employed here, but Nick says he heard that Stephanie was seen in the building. Felicia chimes in that Stephanie is still her mother. Nick notes that Eric isn't wearing his wedding ring and asks who's paying for the hotel Stephanie is living in. Felicia doesn't think Donna should hear this and asks her to leave. Eric says he'll decide who can stay, but Donna offers to leave so no one can accuse Eric of saying things for her benefit. Once she's out the door, Nick laughs at Felicia's frosty attitude toward Donna and guesses that Donna hasn't yet been welcomed into the family. Felicia asks Nick how he knew about Eric and Donna. Nick says that he knows a lot about the Logans, including how Brooke hasn't been around here much. "Is she afraid she'll run into the woman who engineered her rape?" he asks. Felicia jumps to her mother's defense, which brings Nick back to his earlier question about Eric's divorce plans. When Felicia quips that Nick's condition won't hold up in court, Nick laughs at how much like her mother Felicia is. Felicia says they're loyal to each other in this family; Nick asks if that includes Brooke, imploring Eric to be a man and stand up to his wife. Eric says that he, unlike Nick, doesn't have to be a bully to prove his manhood, and he asks Nick to leave. Nick tells Eric to enjoy his return to the runway and warns that he'll see Eric in court if he spots Stephanie on the runway. That said, Nick leaves.

Felicia speaks her mind to Eric.

Alone with Eric, Felicia praises him for standing up to Nick, but Eric points out that she's even more pushy than Nick with her lobbying to keep their family intact. "Nobody's gonna tell me how or with whom I can live my life," he asserts. Felicia counters that it will be a cold day in hell before she calls Donna "Mom." Eric tells her that she doesn't have to like Donna, but she does have to respect her, since he won't allow a repeat of Stephanie's history with Brooke. Felicia states that Donna is obviously a "walking centerfold" who's nowhere near Eric's intellectual equal. "Do I read Aristotle on the toilet?" Eric asks, pointing out that he's a simple man who likes the same things as Donna when he puts down his sketchpad. He appreciates that Donna doesn't expect him to live up to the myth of Eric Forrester like Stephanie does. Felicia tells him to give her mother a hard time if he wants to, as she's done before, and even hire some hookers, but does he have to fall for the first set of implants he sees? If she's trying to make him feel ashamed, Eric states, it's not working. Felicia asks him to remember what his family meant to him over the years; Eric tells her that the press won't tell him how to live his life, and neither will she.

Brooke is surprised to see her father.

Brooke is at home, remembering how she told Nick about Stephanie's involvement in her rape. Katie comes in and asks Brooke if she's working from home again. Brooke tries to duck the question by asking Katie why she missed breakfast, but Katie can't help wondering if her sister is avoiding the office to make sure she doesn't run into Stephanie. Brooke explains that she doesn't want to run into Donna, because she's mad that Donna told Nick about Stephanie's involvement in the rape. Katie asks Brooke if she's worried that Nick might hurt Stephanie; Brooke says that she just wants to move on, since she won't find happiness by making Stephanie miserable. Katie admires her sister's "turning the other cheek." Brooke wishes Donna felt the same way. Before Katie can reply, the doorbell rings; Katie answers it and is surprised to see her father there. As he walks in, Stephen assumes that Katie is here for the same reason he is; he goes over and asks Brooke if she's all right. Brooke says she's fine and asks Stephen why he's here. When Stephen tells her that Donna told him something had happened, Brooke says that Donna was wrong. Stephen, however, isn't convinced and asks if this involves the Forrester. Katie asks her dad where he flew in from this time. "Dallas," he responds (with a nod toward the former TV home of his portrayer, Patrick Duffy), but he doesn't think that matters. All that matters is that he heard Brooke was in trouble, so he's here. Brooke tells him that it's too late to make up for all the years he wasn't around.

Katie and Donna offer their opinions.

Stephen asks Brooke why she's acting this way, since he thought they worked this through last time he was here. He asks if he can at least leave some gifts he brought for R.J. and Hope. Just then, Donna comes in, thrilled to see her Daddy there. Brooke asks Stephen if she can have some time alone, so Katie takes him into the kitchen to have some breakfast. Once Katie and Stephen are out of the room, Brooke reams Donna for pushes Nick into going after Stephanie. She can't believe that Donna would be so self-centered as to use the rape to get back at Stephanie, and she fumes that Donna told both Nick and her dad about Stephanie's involvement. Donna asks why she should keep things from people in Brooke's life like Brooke's ex-husband and father. Brooke points out that neither Nick nor Stephen will let things lie. Hearing the commotion, Katie comes back in, hoping she doesn't have to play referee. She asks Donna how she could tell their dad about the rape. Donna points out that Stephen doesn't know, although she thinks he should; she recalls all the years Stephanie has tortured their family, and especially Brooke, and she can't understand why Brooke is so quick to either forgive Stephanie or move on, rather than hold Stephanie accountable. Katie chimes in that she's surprised to hear these words from Donna, but she has to agree.

Stephen is stunned by Brooke's revelation.

Donna tells Brooke that she's seen the Forresters close-up, so she now sees why the Forresters always come out on top; it's because they always stick together in a crisis, even if it's as a dysfunctional unit. She wonders why the Logan family can't do that instead of running off to separate corners as they usually do. Brooke reminds Donna that there's a reason their family is apart. Donna sees what Brooke is getting at, but she can't grasp why Brooke can forgive Stephanie, but not their dad. She thinks that Rick and Storm both need to be told about the rape, because there is safety in numbers, and she and Brooke both need that when they're so close to having the lives they want. If they don't stand together, she bets Stephanie will just knock them down. Tired of being alone in the kitchen while his daughters decide how much of a father he can be, Stephen comes back into the room. Brooke approaches him and hesitantly tells him that she was attacked. When Stephen asks what that means, she whispers, "I was raped." Totally shocked, Stephen asks Brooke how it happened. Brooke tells him the story, blaming herself for making her rapist see her the way he did. Stephen tells her that this is not her fault and asks if the police arrested this man. Brooke tells him that Ridge went after the rapist, who died when there was an accident. Stephen asks if Ridge knew this man. Brooke says he didn't, but Donna points out that the rapist wasn't a stranger. Brooke tries to hush Donna, but Donna thinks their dad has a right to know how someone Brooke knows fed the rapist information.