Monday, April 21, 2008, Episode #5294

Stephanie, Eric and Thorne pay tribute to Tiny.

Stephanie holds a memorial service for Tiny in the courtyard of the Forrester mansion, with Eric and Thorne attending. As they all lament Pam's tragic loss, Thorne blames Donna for Tiny's death, but Eric reminds his son that the dog was already sick before Donna fed him the lemon bars. They all hush up as Pam, dressed in black, arrives and thanks them all for coming. Thorne gives Pam a card from Ridge and Felicia, who couldn't attend [in Felicia's case, she's in Genoa City plotting to make time with married RESTLESS STYLE co-owner Nick Newman on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS]. Pam is touched by the gesture and just hopes that this whole episode has opened Eric's eyes to what Donna is really like. They gather around a headstone that reads "Tiny, Beloved Pet" and place some of Tiny's toys on the ground, and Thorne reads what sounds like a passage from the Bible about animals passing on. Pam thanks Thorne and sobs over the loss of her best friend, the closest she'll ever come to having a child. Unable to contain her grief, Pam feels like she has to lie down and goes back to the house. Once Pam steps away, Stephanie tells Thorne and Eric that she hopes Pam is taking her medication, since she fears what a loss like this can do to Pam. She suggests they keep an eye on her sister.

Pam refuses to accept Donna's gift.

Donna shows up with flowers and apologizes for being late. Stephanie and Thorne both tear into Donna for daring to come there today, since they think Donna has caused their family enough grief. Donna insists that she was just trying to keep Tiny from attacking her, but Stephanie and Thorne scoff at her excuses. As Donna insists that heart problems did Tiny in, Pam approaches, having heard Donna's voice, and asks, "How dare you come here after what you've done?" Donna tells Pam that she's sorry for her loss and offers a photo of Pam and Tiny that she had framed. but Pam refuses the gift and tells Donna to keep the picture as a reminder of how she murdered Pam's best friend. Pam walks away, followed by Stephanie and Thorne.

Donna seeks solace from Eric.

Donna turns to Eric, sobbing that she would never hurt an innocent animal. Eric tells her that he knows and gives her a hug to console her. Donna reveals to Eric that she's scared that Pam might do something to retaliate, since Pam blames her for Tiny's death. Eric assures Donna that there's nothing to worry about, but she reminds him of Pam's past actions against her. Eric tells her that Pam's actions to date have just been harmless pranks, and there's a difference between those and deadly force. Donna sobs that she's still worried, especially given the way Pam looked at her earlier. Eric holds her and whispers that everything will be all right. Neither of them notice that Pam has returned to the grave site and is glaring at them. After Eric steps away, Donna places her framed photo of Pam and Tiny next to the grave. Pam approaches Donna, who insists that she never meant to hurt Tiny. She thinks Pam knows full well that she had reason to be scared of Tiny, but Pam doesn't want to hear any empty excuses. After Donna reminds her about what the vet said about Tiny's heart condition, Pam fumes that Donna is blaming her for Tiny's death. Donna insists that no one is to blame, since Pam's pet died of natural causes. Pam insists that Tiny was more than just a pet to her, since she loved that dog with all her heart. "You killed my baby," Pam accuses.

Katie wonders why Brooke is in the courtroom.

Nick is with Katie in the courtroom waiting for the custody hearing to begin when Brooke arrives. Brooke is surprised to see her sister, who explains that she's there to lend Nick moral support so he wouldn't be alone. Brooke insists that Nick won't be alone, since she's there. Katie asks Brooke if she intends to tell Nick what's best for Jack, but Brooke thinks Nick already knows what's best and urges him to maintain the status quo and keep full custody of Jack. Nick asks if that means he should cut Taylor out of the boy's life completely. Brooke thinks he should for now, since Taylor has poor judgment, and he only needs to look at Taylor's new boyfriend to see that.

A nervous Taylor gets a pep talk.

Meanwhile, Taylor and Rick arrive at the courthouse. Rick assures a nervous Taylor that she'll be fine, since he's there for her. Taylor tells him that she knows. She knows that she hasn't given him an answer about his proposal yet, but Rick tells her that he wasn't really expecting one right now with everything that's going on. Taylor insists that she has to think about Phoebe. Rick tells her to take her time, since he's a patient man and is willing to wait; he thinks she and Jack are worth waiting for. Rick then gives Taylor a kiss before they enter the courtroom. When they see Brooke there, Rick reams his mother for being there. Brooke insists that she needs to protect both her sons [Both? What about R.J.?] and tells Rick that he's the one who has no business being here. Rick insists that he's supporting Taylor and asks his mom who she's supporting. "Herself," Taylor retorts, but Brooke insists that she's there to support the baby. Nick tells them all to quit bickering. Rick warns his mother not to interfere today, since this involves Nick and Taylor as the child's parents and not her. Brooke disagrees, but Taylor warns, "You are not keeping me from my son any longer."

Nick testifies that he has no issues with Taylor.

Judge Friedman calls the room to order and starts the hearing. After reviewing Taylor's psychiatric evaluation for Dr. Marone, he thinks it's clear what the court needs to do in the matter of custody of Jack. The judge asks Nick how Jack is doing since Nick was awarded custody. Nick replies that Jack is thriving, since there are a lot of people around who love him. The judge asks about Taylor's visits with the baby, and Brooke is aghast when Nick describes Taylor's frequent visits with Jack as positive. Nick tells the judge how he recently allowed Taylor to take Jack overnight and even let her extend the visit until the afternoon. He explains that he never wanted to keep Taylor for their son, but he was concerned about Taylor's emotional well being. However, those concerns are in the past, since Taylor has stopped drinking and seems emotionally stable, so he sees no reason to oppose him and Taylor sharing joint custody of their son. The judge thanks Nick for his candor and thinks he has everything he needs to make a decision, but Brooke stands up and demands to be heard as Jack's biological mother!

Brooke asks to be heard.

Taylor reminds the judge that Brooke willingly signed away her parental rights to Jack. Brooke insists that Jack is half hers, but Taylor states that Brooke has no claim to the boy! The judge thanks Taylor for her input but reminds her that he is aware of what rights Brooke has. He then turns to Brooke and allows her to speak. Brooke tells him that she shares the same motherly bond with Jack that she has with all her children, but it seems that Taylor can't accept that and has become "mentally unhinged," to the point where Taylor is lashing out at her. Judge Friedman reminds Brooke that he has a court-appointed professional's evaluation right there, but Brooke thinks that professional might have thought differently had he known that Taylor was pursuing a romantic relationship with Brooke's son to get revenge. "An eye for an eye, a son for a son," Brooke states. Taylor argues that Brooke is wrong, but Brooke disagrees. "What she is doing with my son is grossly inappropriate," Brooke argues, calling Taylor a "sick, sick woman" who can't be trusted caring for a child.