Monday, September 17, 2007, Episode #5146

Katie and Donna are shocked by Brooke's news.

Brooke calls Donna and Katie over to Ridge's house. Donna thinks Brooke called them there to patch her and Katie up, so she and Katie are both stunned when Brooke tells them that she was raped. While the sisters talk about the rape, Eric comes by to apologize for Stephanie's involvement. Donna and Katie are stunned to learn that Stephanie was involved in the rape by trying to set Brooke up with the man who raped her, just to make Brooke look bad at her custody hearing.

Brooke tells Eric that she wants this to be over.

Eric explains that Stephanie didn't intend for Brooke to be raped, but that still doesn't excuse her actions. He wishes that he had acted sooner, when he saw Stephanie's behavior escalating. Had he done something, he could have stopped her. Donna agrees with him. Eric concedes that it's a moot point, because Stephanie has left town, but not before leaving a note for Brooke admitting what she did. Donna thinks Stephanie should be arrested as an accessory, but Brooke doesn't want to prosecute Stephanie. Instead, she just wants this all to be over. And it will be, Eric promises. He knows Brooke's recovery will take time, but he's sure she'll be OK. He knows Stephanie let her hatred draw her into a deep, dark place where she lost all her self-respect and dignity, but he's sure Brooke still has her dignity, as well as her courage and the support of her family. "None of us will ever let anyone hurt you like this again," he vows, giving Brooke a hug.

After Eric and Donna leave, Brooke talks with Katie. Katie fumes that she knew something was wrong with Brooke when she first came back to town, but all she could do is make cookies. Brooke says that the important thing is that Katie is here. "For as long as you need me," Katie replies, guessing that Donna would have stayed, too, if she [Katie] wasn't here. Brooke assures Katie that she just did what she thought was best in stopping the wedding, so she suggests that Katie give Donna some time before trying to talk this out between them. Katie still regrets that she hurt her sister, but Brooke thinks Donna is ultimately better off now, because she thinks Donna would have been miserable in a marriage built on nothing but revenge. Brooke then tells Katie how generous Ridge has been in letting her and the kids stay here. It reminds her of how things used to be with her and Ridge. Katie asks if Ridge feels the same way, but Brooke says that Ridge's current focus is on what his mother did. Katie asks how Eric is taking the news of Stephanie's involvement, since he must have loved Stephanie to have stayed with her so long. Brooke thinks Eric worked hard to hold his marriage together for the family and the business. But now Stephanie went too far, Katie remarks. "Yeah. Her obsession got me raped," Brooke agrees.

Eric gets some advice.

Eric is having a martini at the bar at Cafe Russe when Donna comes in. Donna turns to leave when she sees Eric, but he asks her to stay. Donna sits down and tells the bartender that Eric's buying her whatever he's drinking. She tells Eric that she owes her, since she missed her champagne toast at her wedding, although she has to admit that she was moved by what he said to Brooke earlier. Eric considers that a compliment given the speeches about family unity she made before her wedding. Donna says she embellished a little, but Eric thinks she would have made Stephanie's life hell. Donna agrees, but she also thinks she would have made Thorne happy at the same time. She still can't believe that Stephanie just wrote a note and left after what she did to Brooke. Eric assures her that Stephanie will answer for her actions. Donna asks if that means he's divorcing Stephanie. Eric replies that he doesn't make plans for his future over martinis, leading Donna to ask if that's how he married Stephanie. Eric points out that his marriage to Stephanie wasn't always so cold, since they had four kids. But that was a long time ago, Donna suggests, and now Stephanie has his libido in a deep-freeze. Eric thinks that's inevitable in a long relationship. Donna counters that he's a man who loves women, but he married one who couldn't love him back. Eric compares that to what Donna wanted Thorne to do. Donna assures him that Thorne would have been satisfied. "But would you be happy?" Eric asks. Donna suggests that happiness is something each person decides to find.

Eric thanks Donna for the advice and tells the bartender to give her whatever she wants, even offering to send his car back for Donna after it drops him at home. "That kind of advice can change a guy's life," he states.

Bridget tells Carl to forget about any agg conspiracies.

In Cafe Russe's dining room, Bridget has dinner with Carl, who asked her out because she hasn't been around the hospital lately. Bridget tells him she had to deal with some family issues that are no resolved. Carl asks if she's talking about "the old switcheroo," but she tells him to forget that. She then changes the subject to her new PDA phone. She shows the phone to Carl, who points out in her call log that she called him three times this week without knowing. He suggests she lock the phone, but she doesn't know how. The waiter comes over to take their order. Carl tells Bridget to order anything she wants, on him, but then he sees the prices, so Bridget suggests that go dutch. Across the room, Nick and Taylor are dining. Bridget spots them and calls Nick on his cell phone, joking that he should get his elbows off the table. As Bridget hangs up, Carl comments that it's funny that the Marones are here, since he has something to tell Bridget about them. He tells her that he saw Dr. Mills, who is now retired, having breakfast with Dr. Harvey from cryogenics; he couldn't hear what they were saying, but they were having eggs! Bridget fumes that Carl is bringing this up again and tells him for the last time that there is no conspiracy to cover up anything about the eggs implanted in Taylor. Carl argues that people make mistakes. Fed up, Bridget wants to leave.

Taylor and Nick make a request of Bridget.

Before Bridget can leave, Nick and Taylor come over, because they have something they want to ask Bridget: they want her to be the godmother of their child! Bridget is shocked and asks if they are sure. Nick and Taylor agree that Bridget is part of the reason that they're having this baby, and she's the kind of person they want their child to emulate. Bridget nervously admits that she doesn't know what to say. "How about 'yes'?" Taylor laughs. Bridget accepts. Nick suggests they all head back to his table to celebrate, but Bridget says she has to go, since she has an early call at the hospital tomorrow. Taylor and Nick offer to do it another time. Bridget tells them how honored she feels about their offer and says her goodbyes. When Carl just sits there, Bridget motions for him to go, so Carl congratulates the Marones and leaves with Bridget. Once Bridget and Carl are gone, Nick and Taylor wonder if Bridget has some plans of her own given how quickly she left with Carl. Taylor gets up to go to the little girls' room and tells Nick to order some dessert with extra cream on it.