Monday, January 21, 2008, Episode #5231

Eric talks to Donna about her behavior.

In Eric's hotel suite, Donna sits Eric down and then sits on his lap to feed him strawberries and whipped cream. She tells him that she wanted to treat her honey bear. Eric tells her that she always does and feeds her a strawberry. In between hugs and kisses, Donna tells Eric that she wishes it could always be like this, with the two of them in their own little world. Eric asks if she believes in what they have together; Donna says she does, especially since he forgave her after finding her with another man. Eric says that kind of behavior has to stop, since it hurts her as much it hurts him.

Donna thanks Eric for being so forgiving.

As she lies down on the sofa with Eric, Donna starts to cry. Eric asks her what's wrong. Donna explains that she's afraid of hurting him again. Eric tells her that she can't do that. He doesn't want to minimize her problem, but her compulsion, just like any other addiction, can be treated through therapy, and he promises to find a form of therapy that can help her so the two of them can get through this together. Donna giggles that she never knew there was a man like him on the planet. Eric tells her that he's the only one; Donna replies with a laugh and a kiss. Eric tells her that it's wonderful that she's shown him how to live again, and that's something nobody will ever take away from him. He gives Donna a kiss on the cheek and she lays her head down on his shoulder.

Brooke tells Ridge about her latest encounter with Taylor.

Brooke returns home, where Ridge is waiting for her. When Ridge hugs her, he senses something wrong, but Brooke says that it's nothing. Ridge can tell she's covering and reminds her that they promised not to keep secrets from each other, so Brooke tells him how she visited Taylor and found alcohol in Taylor's coffee. She explains how she panicked at the thought that Taylor might be drinking again and took Jack to Nick, and of course Taylor was right on her heels, verbally attacking her for kidnapping baby Jack. Ridge admits that he's concerned that Taylor was even near alcohol, but he also reminds Brooke that it's not her place to tell Taylor how to care for her child. He frets that he saw something like this coming and advises Brooke to let Nick Nick and Taylor handle their own issues, for Nick and Taylor's sakes as well as their own. Brooke tells Ridge that she can't wait to be his wife so they can raise Hope and R.J. together, but the situation isn't as simple as he makes it out to be. She knows that the two of them have a wonderful son, but she just can't turn her back on Jack and pretend he doesn't exist when she knows that he's in harm's way.

Ridge urges Brooke to let baby Jack go.

Ridge says he understands, but he can't believe that Taylor would ever harm her child. Brooke says she'd like to believe that, too, but all it would take is one drink for Jack to be be hurt, or worse, dead like Darla. Ridge tells her that she's being overly dramatic and points out that she took Taylor's child from their home, but Brooke contends that she may have saved Jack's life by getting him out of harm's way. Ridge reminds her that even though Jack came from her egg, he is still Taylor's child, and he's no more Brooke's child than a child she'd in a playground or a park. Brooke retorts that Jack isn't just any other child, because they're connected. She can see from the way Jack smells and the way he looks at her that he knows he's a part of her, and she is drawn to him, too. Ridge looks at her and tells her that Jack can't be part of their lives. He thinks they're too close to having everything they wanted to let Nick and Taylor's child come between them, so he urges her to let the baby go.

Bridget is stunned by what Jackie tells her.

At Spectra, Bridget enters Clarke's office and asks Jackie if Jack is OK. When Jackie tells her that Jack is fine, a confused Bridget asks what's going on. Jackie tells Bridget that Nick confided in her about the egg mix-up. Bridget laments how complicated the whole situation was given the history between her mom and Nick and her mom and Taylor, but Jackie maintains that it all happened for a reason, since the universe has given Nick and Brooke the blessing that they have been waiting for. Bridget reminds Jackie that Nick is married to Taylor while Brooke is engaged to Ridge, so she won't make too much of a simple lab error. The real blessing, she feels, is the miracle of the baby's birth. Jackie concedes that Taylor is a wonderful woman, but she thinks that Brooke is Nick's true passion, and she thinks Bridget of all people should agree given how she gave up her own marriage to Nick for Brooke and Nick to be together.

Jackie makes a promise to her grandson.

Bridget says she doesn't believe that her mother is meant to be with Nick anymore, since Nick and Taylor now share a child. She tells Jackie that letting Nick go was one of the hardest things she ever did. But it was the right choice, Jackie stresses, warning Bridget not to underestimate Nick and Brooke's feelings for each other. Bridget tells Jackie that Brooke and Nick have both moved on, but Jackie is convinced that Taylor's inability to commit to Jack will only bring Brooke and Nick together. After Bridget leaves, Jackie holds Jack and tells him that his father is with the wrong woman. She promises Jack that she won't rest until his daddy is with his real mommy.

Nick tells Taylor how he feels.

In Jackie's office, Nick asks Taylor to understand why her even being near alcohol scares him, but Taylor again argues that she didn't drink and asks her husband to at least admit that Brooke's taking their child was wrong, because Brooke has an unhealthy attachment to their child. Nick tells her that this isn't about Brooke, but about her having alcohol around their son. Taylor sobs that she knows it was wrong to pour the drink, but her pain is killing her, which is why she needs him to love and support her more than ever, and she needs him to start by protecting her and not Brooke. Nick says that he wants to help and protect her, but she crossed the line by pouring a drink around their son. He feels like he's reached his breaking point, since nothing he says or does reassures her. He worries that he loves her too much to live this way, because he feels like he is losing her, and more importantly, like she is losing herself. He asks her to at least admit it if she feels like having Jack is too much for her to handle.