Thursday, September 20, 2007, Episode #5149

Bridget tries to reassure Nick.

Nick comes over to see Bridget at the beach house. He tells her that he couldn't sleep last night because he kept thinking about the egg mix-up. POTENTIAL mix-up, Bridget reminds him. Nick laments that they can't test for maternity without Taylor or Brooke knowing. Bridget asks him to think about just looking at his precious little baby and not worrying who the donor was, but Nick doesn't think he'll be able to think that way for the next few months.

Thorne tries to clear the air with Donna.

Thorne calls Donna over to the Forrester mansion. Donna notes the irony of being in the very room where he called off their wedding and asks if he did that to torture her. Thorne says he doesn't want to torture her. "So it's thanks for the memories and see you?" Donna asks. Thorne tells her that's not how it is, because what they shared was amazing. But not good enough for him to marry her, Donna suggests, insisting that she would have been a good wife. But for the wrong reasons, Thorne states, asking her to stop dwelling on the negative. He explains that he asked her here to thank her, because she saved his life by pulling him out of the emotional tailspin caused by his depression. Donna says she has to thank him, too, since he treated her like gold, something no else one ever did. They agree that they have no hard feelings over what happened. Donna says she has one more thing she has to do and takes her engagement ring off her finger. Tears in her eyes, she states that she would have done it sooner, but it was hard to let go. She laments that she could have been married to a great guy and helped raise his darling daughter, and frustrating his mother would have been an added bonus. But even with everything that hap, they were good together. Thorne agrees that they were. Donna says that she'll always admire and respect him. Thorne notes that she didn't say love. She sobs that she would have been a good wife, but it wasn't meant to be. She leans in to give him one last hug and kiss, but she's so upset that she pulls away and leaves.

Eric gets some advice from Donna.

Soon after, Eric comes into the living room with a sketch in his hand. He looks around his empty living room as he takes in the silence and emptiness around him. He sits down at the piano and starts to play when Donna comes in, having forgotten her purse. After watching Eric play, she tries to grab the purse and slip out before Eric sees her, but Eric catches her as she turns to leave and admits that he's surprised to see her here. Donna tells him how Thorne asked her over to gracefully thank her for what she did for him in a classy way, and she repaid Thorne by giving him back his ring and telling him how grateful she is to have been with him. Eric is glad they made their peace and are moving on with their lives. Donna notes how lonely he looked being here in this big, empty house. Eric tells her that he still can't accept how Stephanie gave that animal the ammunition he needed to rape Brooke. Donna tells him not to blame himself for a tragedy his wife created. Eric somberly looks at her, considering her words.

Ashley isn't happy to hear that Ridge is keeping secrets for Brooke.

Ridge and Ashley are in her bed, smooching after making love. Ridge wants to play hooky from work, but Ashley doesn't know if that's a good idea with the big fashion show coming up. Since a friend's mom is picking up Abby, Ashley suggests that they drive in to work together, but Ridge tells her that he has to stop on the way to see Brooke. Disappointed, Ashley goes to take a shower so she can get going. Ridge sighs, sensing her frustration. After Ashley finishes her shower, Ridge takes his; as he towels off and she gets dressed, he tells her that he sees that she's upset. Of course she's upset, Ashley explains, because they spent an amazing night making love, only to have to wake up to listen to him talk about Brooke. Ridge reminds her that he already explained that Brooke is going through something. "When is she not going through something?" Ashley asks. She can't see why he wants to secrets from her about his ex-wife, so she wants to know what Brooke's latest crisis is. She thinks she has a right to know, since she thought they agreed to be honest after she didn't tell him about Rick. Ridge tells her that Brooke was adamant that he not tell anyone. "Anyone, or just the woman you're supposedly in love with?" Ashley asks. Ridge asks her not to take it that way, but she doesn't see how else to take it when he's keeping things from her. "I can't live that way," she says as she grabs her bag and leaves.

Brooke tells Nick that she was raped.

Brooke stops by the Marone mansion to see Nick and waits for him in the study. Seeing the ultrasound photos, she starts to look at them. Nick returns home and finds her looking at the pictures, so he asks what's going on. Brooke tells him that she was just looking, since he knows how excited he and Taylor are about this baby. She guesses he didn't get the message she left that she was coming over. Nick asks what brings her by. Brooke says that she wanted to talk to him about work, especially since he's been so patient about her recent absences. Nick is glad that she seems better today than she's been, but he admits that he didn't understand why she didn't come to him while she was going through her issues. Brooke tells him that she didn't want to bother him, since he and Taylor are so busy with the baby on the way. Nick tells her that they're still friends, so she can always come to him. He hopes she didn't stay away because she doesn't trust him. Brooke insists that she trusts him, but she just couldn't... Nick sees her pause in mid-sentence and asks what's wrong. Brooke hesitates for a moment and then tells him that she was raped.

Brooke tells Nick all about the rape, including her reasons for not pressing charges. Nick asks if there's anything he can do. She asks him to please not tell anyone, including Taylor. Nick agrees. Brooke tells him that she promised herself that she wouldn't let the rape keep her from being the kind of mother she needs to be, since she and her kids need each other. Nick hugs her and tells her that no one will take her kids from her ever again. Brooke then tells him that not only does she have her kids back, but she also might have their father back. Nick rolls his eyes, asking why she'd put herself through that again. Brooke tells him that this whole thing has made her realize that Ridge is her destiny. She reminds Nick that he has a life with Taylor now, and she's finally accepted that, so she doesn't think he can argue with her wanting to be with Ridge. She knows where her future lies, and it's with the father of her children. She gets up to leave, leaving Nick alone, thinking about what she just said. Placing the ultrasound pictures by the window, he recalls how Brooke said that her future lies with the father of her children.