The Bold & The Beautiful Update Monday 10/24/05

Written By Wanda
Pictures by Boo

Same day continuation of Friday’s Episode:

In Taylor’s office, Stephanie sits on the sofa with Taylor on the opposite side in big stuffed chair. Taylor repeats what Stephanie has previously told her. She’d been having fantasies about harming Brooke, but she knew she couldn’t act on those feelings. Stephanie takes a drink of water and tells her she knows she has to do something. She can’t live like this. Taylor says she can’t deny that Stephanie has made some mistakes in the past. Stephanie does bring up the faked heart attack. She shouldn’t have done that. She gives a big sigh and says she doesn’t even know who she is any more.

Stephanie Douglas, that’s who she was before she married Eric. And when they started to have a family, she wanted to teach them those same sort of values. She wanted them to be strong, decent people, but somewhere along the line she lost those values and she lost Eric. She knows he hates who she is and has become. Lost, defeated and confused, she says she doesn’t know WHO she is anymore.

At Spectra Fashions, Thomas is fussing with one of his new designs on a mannequin with Thorne and Gaby close at hand. They ask Clarke for his opinion and he says it’s okay, but still needs some work. Thomas states he knows it’s not as good as his last collection. Sally is on the phone doing her own fussing, to buyers who are backing out of the sales’ orders. Sally tells ‘Bucky’ he’d better get hold of shipping and hold that last order. And Gaby pops up “another one?” Thomas laments they think he’s only a one hit wonder. Sally says no, it isn’t him; it’s the press that are all in a lather about Brooke and Eric’s part deux; Spectra couldn’t buy a headline right now. Clarks pops up unfortunately sales follow the buzz. Thorne says they will get their buzz back when Thomas wins this contest. Sally, dangerous holding some scissors, says they better!

Darla corners Sally and asks her what has she done? She finally gets Sally to admit she may have made some poorly timed investments. All eyes turn to her when she admits she bought some much needed new equipment so then she had to up the production to handle the new orders. Thomas mentions that they are now the pre-orders that are being cancelled. Sally continues she knew it was a risk, but in order to win BIG, you have to bet BIG! Thorne chimes in “and if you lose, you lose everything.”

At Forrester Creations, Ridge is barging around in Eric’s office, telling him this marriage is a mistake. And deep down he says Eric knows it. Hardly a friendly father-son talk. Eric continues what he’s doing and says it is NOT a mistake. Ridge cuts to the quick and tells him Brooke only married him to put Bridget’s mind at ease. Nonplussed, Eric sits and tells Ridge that he and Brooke are building a future together. Ridge offers that he knows they both want to help Bridget. And that Eric thinks she will take Nick back with Brooke off the market. He growls that’s not the basis for a marriage! Brooke is just going through the motions, and he has to be more realistic than this. Eric contends he is. Passion and impulse have never served either one of them very well. Brooke doesn’t want another FANTASY relationship. What she wants is a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. Ridge asks what about love? Eric says there are many kinds of love. This is not the kind of love of a young girl following some pipe dream. This is the love of a woman who has found someone she can trust and believe in. Ridge still looks skeptical. Eric stands and tells him he and Brooke have a great chemistry, they’re building a solid family here, they’re running this company here, and having a great time doing it. What could be better? As he pours himself a cup of coffee, Ridge explains it’s all an illusion. He snaps his fingers and says that Brooke could be gone in a matter of the right words being said, just like that. Eric asks who is going to do that. Who is going to take Brooke away from him …. Nick or “you?”

Taylor points out to Stephanie that she just admitted she might need some help. Stephanie chuckles, it’s kind of hard not to see that when the whole family turns their back on you. But, Taylor reminds her that she did not see it before, at least not for a very long time. She didn’t see what this obsession with Brooke was doing to her family or to herself. Stephanie laments she only wanted to protect them. Taylor offers and they will be more willing to forgive her. She thinks Ridge is already coming around. Stephanie knows Ridge is angry with Eric for marrying Brooke. Taylor nods yes, he’s definitely in her corner. And once she makes an effort to change, a lot of other people will be too. Stephanie shrugs she doesn’t know, she seems to alienate a lot of people with her opinions. They don’t need her any more or her help. She rationalizes if she can’t help her family, what is she good for?

Taylor reiterates that Stephanie’s entire life has been about protecting her family, but hasn’t the last few years been mostly about Brooke? Stephanie thinks with good reason, look what she’s done to her daughter! Taylor reinforces, so it’s not just about Stephanie’s children, but Brooke’s as well? Steph continues that she’s tried to help her. Taylor asks if she thinks it’s helped? Has anybody’s life improved because of the help from Stephanie? And Stephanie even admitted to her that this obsession with Brooke has cost her a lot. Steph smirks and says she has failed, she can see that. Taylor offers that perhaps she has just been putting all her energy in the wrong place. She tells her, “maybe you just need to let your family live their own lives, and focus on YOU.” Stephanie seems surprised. Taylor leads her back to her referring to herself as Stephanie Douglas and she’d never heard her refer to herself in that way. Steph says she guesses that people who don’t have a lot to look forward to, start to look backward, don’t they? Taylor asks if there was a happier time in her life? Steph laughs and says she was very happy. She was very proud of her family, proud to be a Douglas. That was before she was married to Eric, when they were in college at Northwestern. Taylor asks if she still keeps in touch with any of those friends? Stephanie beams that yes, with Christmas and birthday cards, weddings….several live in Florida and are close friends with each other. Taylor asks if she ever goes to visit? Stephanie stands and reflects and says not as often as she could have. It’s funny, she says, when you start remembering old friends, you start remembering who you used to be. She wanders about as if this strange metamorphous is taking over and laments that she had certain ideals she used to rely on and certain beliefs that sustained her. And she doesn’t know, but she must have gotten confused, and that was before Brooke. Big sigh, long pause and then she continues, before Brooke turned Ridge and Eric against her. “And against each other.”

Eric sips his coffee as Ridge scoffs that he’s not threatening to take Brooke away from him. Eric states for Taylor’s sake, he hopes not. He tells his dad he’s very committed to her, which is more than he can say for him and Brooke. Eric shoots him a look and says he is happier than he’s been in a long time. He’s more creative, has more energy and every moment he’s with her, he feels more alive. (guess he’ll need that energy to be more creative in how to get her into the sack!) He gets up and says he knows this is difficult for everyone to accept, especially Jackie. He comments that if Ridge is acting jealous right now….and Ridge comments he is not jealous but he and Brooke are always going to have a connection….….their son, Eric’s grandchild. Ridge laughs, now Eric’s going to be his step-dad, what is that going to do to him? Eric tells Ridge that R.J. is a very lucky little boy. He’s going to grow up in a very stable home. But, Ridge offers that this is already in the papers, every tabloid in the world. Eric says he won’t let it affect their children. Ridge tells him but he doesn’t give a damn how it affects Mother, has he thought about that? Wasn’t it humiliating enough for him to leave her for Brooke BEFORE, how could he do that to her again?

Taylor tells Stephanie they can try to work on these issues and take care of herself, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will all come back around and that includes Eric. Stephanie explains but it can’t if she doesn’t at least try. Taylor points out she can’t do it for him, she has to do it for herself. She walks closer and tells her she still IS Stephanie Douglas. Stephanie admits she’s definitely not Mrs. Eric Forrester anymore. Taylor says that might not be a bad thing, and she might realize that more if she puts a little distance between herself and everything. She suggests she go away, go on vacation, go visit her friends. “Harrumph, if only life was that simple”, says Stephanie. But, Eric and Brooke would still be married, that won’t change. Actually nothing will change. Taylor says, “except for you……when you came in here, you said you couldn’t live like this and you had to do something about it. I just gave you a suggestion. Now, it is up to you to act on it.”

Eric and Ridge continue to square off as he tells Eric that he accuses Stephanie of acting irrationally when he and Brooke are doing the same damn thing. Eric finds this slightly amusing and asks if he really thinks it’s irrational. Ridge says it’s even worse. He’s not even trying to hide this crazy behavior, but flaunting it for the whole world to see. Eric promises him none of this is made to punish Ridge’s mother. He asks doesn’t this bother him that it devastates his mother so much? Eric admits not as much as it apparently does to Ridge. He states that his mother will always be a part of his life; she’s a part of this company. Ridge tells him then annul this quickie marriage and find a way to make amends. Eric declares no, Stephanie and he will always be involved in each other’s lives, but he can not be her husband. Ridge offers that it’s just because she’s not herself these days. Eric throws up his arms and asks then who is she now? Because he doesn’t know her now. Ridge shouts back – because of everything that has happened, because of mistakes like this! Eric opines on his marriage to Brooke! He berates him that it’s very easy to defend Stephanie with the idea she is doing everything for the family until it is HIS life that she’s interfering in. “She goes too far, Ridge, she doesn’t know where to stop anymore.”

Eric’s phone rings and it’s Stephanie who says she’d like to see him. Gruffly, he says that he doesn’t feel like any more arguments today. Softly, she says he doesn’t either. And as a matter of fact, she wants to talk to everyone in the family; has he seen Ridge? When she finds out Ridge is there, she asks if Eric could bring him with him, up to the house, now? Eric tells her they’ll be there. Stephanie walks to the window and looks out over Los Angeles and contemplates while nodding. You can almost hear her thinking, yes, this is the right thing to do.

She comes home, doesn’t take a step inside before she looks around, finally touches a table. Looking at more objects, her eyes finally rest on the piano in the corner and she ‘sees’ Eric singing Silent Night about all being calm.

Then the fireplace before which they had their second wedding and had sealed it with a kiss. They hugged again when she told Eric when she saw that little baby, she suddenly remembered her own little boy, her son. In silent contemplation she shakes her head as if to say ‘where did it all go?’

At Spectra, Thomas is still fidgeting with his design as Gaby sneaks up on him and they forget designs and kiss. He sighs that he doesn’t want to let her down. She says he won’t, he can’t. She tells him she trusts him completely. He wonders – even if Sally and Thorne don’t? Did she see the way they ran out of here? Gaby says that wasn’t about him. Stephanie called that she wanted to see all of them. Thorne didn’t say, but it sounded important.

Already inside, they await Queen Stephanie. The family plus Sally and Massimo. Sally laments why call a big, mysterious meeting if you don’t intend to make a grand entrance. Mass lets out a little frustration when he turns to Eric and says it certainly couldn’t have been easy for her to talk to him. On cue, Stephanie walks in and thanks them all for coming on such short notice. Ridge asks what is going on here? She gestures that she just wanted to talk to all of them. She smiles, it’s going to be a little harder than she anticipated. She tells them she walked into the house a few minutes ago; walked into this wonderful room and she thought of all the great, marvelous memories….memories they can all treasure and she just wished she could have had a few more of them. Thorne asks if everything is okay? She replies no, it’s not. And it hasn’t been for a very long time.

She walks to the fireplace and sort of takes center stage for her speech to come. She beams that when she and Eric built this house and moved in with all the kids, it was just wonderful, filled with joy. And as happy as they were, they always thought the best was yet to come. She clears her throat and continues, by pointing Eric’s way, that now that he has married Brooke, “our time has come to an end,” as she points back and forth between the two of them. Eric points out that all came to an end BEFORE he married Brooke. She acknowledges that; and she’s done some things she’s not very proud of…and he has every right to be angry and embarrassed by her behavior. She laughs that she’s a little angry and embarrassed by it too. She looks at Ridge and Thorne, side by side, and says she’s really treasured her role in this family…and in their company…..but that’s over too. Eric and Brooke are going to be running the business from now on. Thorne tells her, “I hope you know, no one is happy about this marriage.” She thanks him and points and says but she doesn’t want any pity. She just wants them to know how much she loves them…all of them. She almost chokes up as she says this is why it’s so difficult. She continues, the truth is with the divorce and Eric’s remarriage being given so much attention in the press and media, it’s embarrassing, and she just doesn’t have the strength to fight it anymore. “I just don’t have it in me.” She gestures that she came to the realization that staying here, coming home, going into the office every day would be ….degrading (she struggled for that word). She chuckles that you never know how things are going to work out. At some point life may take a different course and you just have to learn to accept it.

She blurts out that she’d going away. Taylor speaks up and says she thinks she deserves a vacation. Stephanie corrects her; it’s not a vacation…..she is going to sell the house….and leave L.A. She turns her head in soft determination. She adds that’s why she called them all over here today, so they could talk this all out. She stops and smiles, actually smiles at Sally as if they are old friends and says so they could say their goodbyes. There’s definitely a tear in her eye and a lump in her throat as she sets her jaw….and one last smile at Sally.

Needless to say, everyone is stunned and speechless.

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