Wednesday, October 03, 2007, Episode #5158

Nick makes Eric a counteroffer.

Eric and Donna urge Nick to reconsider Eric's offer to buy Forrester Creations, but Nick would rather run the company into the ground than let Stephanie get her hands on it again. Eric reminds Nick that he alone would be buying the company, so Stephanie would not be involved. Jackie asks Eric if he's serious about divorcing Stephanie. Donna doesn't blame Eric if he is, but Eric interjects that this isn't about his wife and reminds Nick that they both would win from this sale. Jackie agrees, so Nick makes a counteroffer: he'll agree to sell to Eric, but only if Eric ends his marriage to Stephanie so that she can never be a part of the company again. He tells Eric to consider the offer and get back to him by tonight.

Jackie considers the fringe benefits of selling to Eric.

After Eric and Donna leave, Jackie asks Nick to think about the offer he just made. She asks if he wants to spend months saving a company he really has no passion for when Eric can save it now and offer some fringe benefits as well. Nick asks what "fringe benefits" his mother is talking about and then realizes that Jackie is entertaining the idea that she might have a relationship with Eric again. He can't believe Jackie is still hung up on that man, especially after all the times Eric dumped her to go back to that "ball and chain" he calls a wife. Jackie points out that Eric will be free if he accepts Nick's offer, which would leave him open to a woman like her who shares his interests. Nick isn't as confident, since he's sure Stephanie will go after Eric again if she resurfaces. Jackie, however, thinks Eric will need to turn to someone if he divorces Stephanie, and since Eric has no other woman in his life, who better to turn to but her?

Donna is pleased that Eric could get Forrester Creations back.

Returning to the Forrester mansion, Eric praises Donna for the wonderful way she negotiated with Nick. He really feels like has has a chance to get the company back, and he owes it all to her. Donna assures him that he will have the company back, but Eric wonders if she overplayed her hand a bit by alluding to his marital problems with Stephanie. He admits that it seems like he's not married with the way he's acted of late, but he still is Stephanie's husband, and he thinks ending that marriage is a big leap that he's not sure of. Donna reassures Eric that he's a smart, talented man who is also quite sexy. She concedes that he's been married to Stephanie for a long time and they share children and a home, but he's also gotten little in return. So she sees no reason for him to pass on the life that's waiting for him just to stay married to his wife. "Just let the woman go," she tells him.

Eric is torn over his relationship with his wife.

Donna apologizes if she overstepped her bounds with her comments, but she can see how much getting Forrester Creations back means to him. Now is the time to get back it back, she asserts, and all he has to do is divorce is manipulating, domineering wife to regain a company that is and always will be his heart and soul. She thinks it's a no-brainer -- that is, unless he still loves Stephanie. Eric sighs that he does have to consider if he still loves his wife. Donna understands and asks him to consider what he'd do if Stephanie walked in right now, asking him to let her back into his life. She asks if he wants to take back the woman who is as cold and impervious as the polar ice caps and spend the rest of his life with her. Eric admits that she's right about Stephanie being manipulative, and he also can't forgive his wife for what she did to Brooke. But at the same time, Stephanie is still his wife. "Not for long, right?" Donna asks. Before Eric can answer, Nick calls, wanting to know if they have a deal. Eric tells Nick that he'll be right over. As Eric hangs up, Donna hopes Eric has made the right choice and is going to divorce Stephanie to get his company back.

Brooke and R.J. stop by to see Ridge before their camping trip.

At Forrester Originals, Ridge and Ashley are resuming their wedding planning when Brooke drops by, dressed to take R.J. on a camping trip with other members of his class and their parents. Ashley tells Brooke that Ridge told her about how they're using the Big Bear cabin as their command center for the retreat and thinks it sound like fun. Ridge then tells Brooke that he had to tell Ashley about the rape. Brooke is upset, but Ridge tells her that keeping the secret was causing tension in his relationship with Ashley. Ashley gives Brooke a hug and says that she's happy that Ridge was there to help Brooke through her traumatic ordeal. R.J. comes in and shows Ridge a whistle that Forrester receptionist Molly gave him; he tells Ridge that he can blow it if he gets lost in the woods. Ridge thinks that's a cool idea, although he's sure R.J. won't get lost with his mommy along. R.J. asks Ridge why he can't come along, too. Brooke reminds R.J. that they talked about that, and it will be Ridge's turn next year. Ridge then tells R.J. that he has something for him in the car, so father and son race to the elevator to go get it.

Ashley tells Brooke to back off.

Alone with Brooke, Ashley asks if Hope is going on the trip, too. Brooke explains that it's just for R.J.'s class, so Hope is staying with Aly and Thorne. Ashley comments how excited R.J. seems. Brooke thinks he'd be more excited if his dad was along for the trip. Ashley doesn't see the need for both parents, especially with Ridge fighting a deadline - that is, unless Brooke wants Ridge there for herself as much as for R.J. Brooke points out that it's no secret how she feels about Ridge, although she finds it funny talking about secrets when Ashley kept her affair with Rick a secret from Ridge. She wonders if Ridge has really gotten over Ashley keeping that from him. Not wanting to argue, Ashley admits she made a mistake by not telling Ridge about Rick sooner, and she's also sorry Phoebe got hurt in the process. But now it's out in the open and she and Ridge don't keep secrets, including the one about Brooke's rape. She promises not to tell anyone else about the rape, because she respects how private that incident is to Brooke, but she wants to be clear that she is marrying Ridge, so she doesn't think it's fair for Brooke to keep running to Ridge every time. Brooke asks Ashley if she's being put on notice. R.J. and Ridge then return, with R.J. showing off the fancy flashlight Ridge gave him. Ashley asks to see, but Brooke thinks she and R.J. should get going. R.J. says goodbye to his dad and Brooke and R.J. get on their way.

Ridge tells Ashley that he's worried about Brooke.

Once he's alone with Ashley, Ridge asks what was going on between her and Brooke when he came in. "Why do I get the feeling that you were kind of telling her how it is?" he asks. "Maybe because I was," admits Ashley. Ridge sighs. After a while, Ridge is deep in thought. Ashley guesses that he's thinking of R.J. Ridge admits she's right and tells her that he feels like he let R.J. down. Ashley tells him that there will be lots of times where it will just be the two of them with Abby, Hope and R.J. down the road, just as there will be times when he'll be with Brooke, R.J. and Hope. It'll be fine, she assures him. Ridge knows, but he's still worried about Brooke. He knows she's seeing a therapist, but he thinks she still has a lot to work out, so he worries that she's might be trying to do too much too soon.

Brooke tells R.J. she'll be nearby in the cabin.

Brooke and R.J. get up to Big Bear with the other kids and their parents. One of the parents tells Brooke that all the tents are up, but Betsy and Clay Snyder didn't see a rip in their tent when they packed it, so they're one tent short. R.J. runs in and tells Brooke that Mr. Minnis offered to let him stay in the tent with Mr. Minnis's son Matthew and their friend Charlie, so Brooke offers to stay in the cabin and let the Snyders use her tent. (FYI, Michael Minnis and Elizabeth Snyder are two of B&B's writers, so they join the list of B&B staffers having characters named after them). Brooke tells R.J. that she'll put her sleeping bag here in the main cabin area, so he can come in if he needs her. R.J. thanks his mom, who tells her she loves him.