Wednesday, October 29, 2008, Episode #5429

Katie corrects Jack's babysitter.
At the Marone mansion, Katie gets a report about Jack from his babysitter, who lives next door. The young girl tells Katie that Jack had a good time at the park playing with the other toddlers. Katie takes Jack and laughs about how Jack loves to play in the park. The sitter offers to take care of Jack any time Katie is busy. Katie admits she's getting more involved at work, so she may take the sitter up on that. As she turns to leave, the sitter says that she loves Katie's son. "He's actually not my son," Katie corrects, "but I love him just like he was my own." After the sitter leaves, Katie holds Jack and bonds with him. Nick returns home and overhears Katie baby-talking to Jack about his time at the park. Katie smiles as she recalls the sitter calling Jack her son. "Sometimes I feel like your mom. I really wish I was," she affirms, noting that she's kind of like a mom to Jack when he's here.

Nick tells Katie that Jack needs to be with his birth mom.
Nick makes his presence known and greets his two favorite people, taking Jack from Katie. Katie asks how long he was standing there. Not long, Nick responds, stating that he didn't want to interrupt her little chat with Jack. Katie gushes that Jack is a great kid, and the mothers and kids at the park and even the babysitter seem to agree. Nick agrees that he has a special kid here and puts Jack down. Nick then notices that Katie seems preoccupied with something and asks what's up. She tells him that Jack is really starting to bond with her, and she thinks it might be a good idea for them to keep Jack here full-time while Brooke weathers her latest crisis. Nick isn't sure that's a good idea, since being apart from Jack might add to Brooke's stress at a time she can't afford that. Besides, he thinks Jack needs some stability in his life that he can only get from being with his real mom. Katie supposes he's right, half-heartedly noting that they can't forget that her sister is Jack's biological mom.

Eric worries about Rick's attitude.
Eric visits Rick in the hospital, assuring Rick that they will find the best specialists for his injuries. He's confident that Rick can pull through this with the right doctors and the support of the whole family. "Not the entire family," Rick corrects, pointing out that he's now paralyzed because of Ridge. Eric insists that Ridge acted unintentionally, so what happened was an accident. Rick disagrees, reminding his dad how Ridge punched him in Sydney and keeps trying to force him out of Forrester. Eric contends that the tension between Rick and Ridge has always existed, but Rick claims that Ridge is out of control with his arrogance and his need to control both Brooke and Taylor. Eric asks Rick if this is about Taylor ending their engagement. Rick charges that Ridge is using Taylor, just like he used Brooke in the past. He thinks this behavior is typical of Ridge, but he intends to put a stop to it.

Rick tells his dad how he feels about Ridge.
"You're in a bad place right now," an understanding Eric points out, noting that Rick's legs and his feelings are both hurt right now. He's sure both will heal in time, but Rick isn't as certain. Eric warns Rick not to direct all his anger over what happened with Taylor at Ridge, but Rick counters that Ridge opened the door for Taylor again to gain leverage with Brooke. He suspects Ridge gets off on some power trip by keeping Brooke and Taylor at each others' throats, but he refuses to let Ridge get away with that anymore. Eric advises Rick not to be so negative. Rick feels that Ridge is a danger to Brooke and begs Eric not to defend Ridge and go on about how Ridge and Brooke are in love, because he doesn't buy it. As far as he's concerned, Brooke should be done with Ridge, and he vows to make sure that happens.

Stephanie urges Ridge to reunite with Taylor.
Stephanie drops by Brooke's house to see Ridge, who tells her how Rick was injured. He explains that he just reacted to Rick choking him and points out that Rick blames him for Taylor ending their engagement. Stephanie asks how Brooke is handling this. Ridge assures her that Brooke does not blame him, so he doesn't foresee what happened to Rick impacting his relationship with Brooke. Stephanie is glad to hear that, but she bets Rick blames him. Ridge suggests they change the subject and asks about Pam. Stephanie updates him on Pam's surgery and how she and Ann convinced Donna and Eric not to testify against Pam so they can move Pam to a facility in Chicago. Ridge is surprised Donna agreed and asks if that means Eric is back with Donna. Stephanie says that Eric hasn't said anything about calling off the divorce from Donna, so she's hopeful. Turning the subject back to Rick, Stephanie asks Ridge if Taylor called off her engagement to Rick because she wants Ridge back. When Ridge confirms, Stephanie cries out, "Hallelujah." Ridge tells her not to start, since he and Brooke are still getting married, but Stephanie offers that he and Brooke never had the long term happiness he shared with Taylor, and she wonders if they ever can have that kind of calm with the drama in Brooke's life over Jack and now Rick. Ridge insists that he and Brooke will deal with those issues together, but Stephanie suggests that he never had to try hard to find that kind of contentment with Taylor, so she'd hate to see him throw away a chance to have that kind of peace again.

Ridge won't let his mom turn Brooke into a villain again.
Ridge reminds his mother that he and Brooke are building a family with Hope, R.J. and Jack, but Stephanie wonders if he might have been able to help Taylor and Jack by supporting Taylor when her marriage to Nick fell apart. Ridge points out that Taylor didn't reach out to him, but Stephanie claims that the feelings he had for Taylor are still there. Ridge admits that he loves Taylor, but he is making a life with Brooke now. Stephanie doesn't think the life he has with Brooke can compare with the one he had with Taylor, because being with Brooke always presents challenges that have to be overcome. He didn't have that with Taylor. She also suggests that he only stayed with Brooke because of the son they shared. Ridge assures her that he and Brooke are committed to a future together. Stephanie doesn't think that's the life he planned on, which is why she told Taylor to fight Brooke to get Ridge back. Ridge admits that every story has a villain, but he refuses to let his mother make Brooke the villain again. Stephanie tells him that Taylor loves him and always will, so she thinks he can find the life he deserves by reuniting with Taylor.

Brooke blames Taylor for Rick's condition...
In Taylor's office, the shrink assures Brooke that she is devastated about what happened to Rick, but Brooke thinks Taylor is just feeling guilty and blames Taylor for Rick's paralysis. Brooke accuses Taylor of stringing Rick along and then blindsiding him with her feelings for Ridge; she can't believe that Taylor could just dump Rick after he saved her from a drunken tailspin, although she guesses she should be happy that Rick at least is not lying dead in a ditch like Darla! Taylor admits that she made mistakes after her marriage ended, including turning to alcohol and men. "Men connected to me," Brooke charges. Taylor wonders why that is. Brooke thinks Taylor is obsessed with her under the belief that Brooke ruined her life, but Taylor counters that Brooke played a part as well by ditching Eric to pursue Ridge, who was married to Taylor at the time. Taylor recalls that Rick grew up taking care of Brooke instead of the other way around, with Rick wiping Brooke's tears over not being with Ridge and defending her. She then suggests that Brooke's neglect of Rick is what caused him to be drawn to older women like her and Ashley, since Rick never knew what it was like to have a mother growing up. Brooke is stunned by the charge. Taylor observes Brooke's reaction and asks if Brooke just expected her to stand there and listen to this garbage. "I'm done playing fair with you," Taylor declares, accepting Brooke's challenge of war and vowing to take back her territory. "I'm taking back my husband," Taylor proclaims.

... but Taylor counters with a promise to take back what's hers.
Brooke states that Ridge would be with Taylor if he wanted to be, but he's not. That's why she's confident that her future with Ridge is solid, and she vows that nothing will stop her and Ridge's wedding. If that marriage ever happens, Taylor states, she'll respect it in the same way Brooke respected hers, but she doubts it will ever get to that point. She declares that she's not the same sweet goody-two-shoes that Brooke pushed around for years because she hit rock bottom, and that forced her to learn how to claw her way up. Once she lost everything, she was free to do anything, no matter what it took, and that's why she feels free to take back Ridge now. She thinks Ridge will see that, too, now that she's told him how she feels. "Knock yourself out," Brooke scoffs. Taylor thinks Brooke is just acting confident to hide the fact that she feels threatened, but Brooke says she just feels sorry for Taylor. She knows Taylor had some difficult times lately, but she thinks pining away for Ridge will just lead to heartache, and she starts to wonder based on Taylor's behavior if maybe it's true that psychiatrists are the craziest people of all. Taylor admits that she might be crazy after everything Brooke did to her and her family. She resents the way Brooke toys with Ridge by getting him back and then throwing him away, and she's sure that will happen again once history repeats itself. When that happens, Taylor predicts, Ridge will look to her for safety, and she'll be waiting. "I'm taking back what is mine," Taylor confidently promises Brooke, "and there's nothing you can do to stop me."