The Bold & The Beautiful Update Friday 11/18/05

Written By Wanda
Pictures by Boo

Same night continuation of Thursday’s episode:

At Brooke’s manse, Eric gently caresses Brooke’s face and tells her that he needs her to love him. He needs to be connected to her so much more than they are now. She tells him she cares for him so much. As a friend, he replies. She states they are married. But, he differs. They are not. He needs intimacy. He points out what she’s doing to him. She almost fainted today and he considers that a betrayal. And he thought, or accused her, of crossing the line with Ridge. He yelled at Ridge ‘get your hands off my wife.’ He’s losing control. Brooke says she is sorry. Eric answers, “But, you can’t love me. Not the way…not the way a wife should love a husband.” She states that she will try harder. But, he remarks that she shouldn’t have to. He continues that he wants this to work and he thinks she does too. And not just for Bridget, but for themselves as well. She tells him she does. He offers then she must find it in her heart. He puts his hand there. Then he takes her hand and kisses it while telling her they are already much more than just friends. Now they need to be lovers as well. He tells her to come upstairs when she is ready.

At the beach house, Dante lets Stephanie in and thanks her for coming. She thanks him as it gives her a nice opportunity to tell him how much she appreciates and admires his fabric designs. She can’t wait to see the new ones. He thanks her, but says actually he wanted to talk to her about Bridget. She agrees that she is in a pretty vulnerable spot right now. He says he would never take advantage of that. She pats him on the shoulder and says she knows, he’s been a good friend. He returns the compliment by saying he knows how influential she has been in Bridget’s life.

She remarks she’s not sure that is true anymore. She sits while Nick continues that she has been, and that’s why he needs her help. Bridget can NOT be with Nick, not EVER! Stephanie says Bridget does understand that. Dante retorts that Nick doesn’t. She asks has he been coming around? Dante tells her yeah, earlier today. He sits with her on the sofa and tells her that when he met Bridget she had this crisis with Ridge. She felt insecure about her mother. And right now, she is going through the same thing all over again. Stephanie agrees. As soon as Nick became involved with her mother, it changed everything with Bridget. He tells Stephanie that Bridget is the one for him; always has been. But, she’s vulnerable to Nick right now. She can’t be with him. What if the family got together? She’s always going to wonder if he went off with her mother. Stephanie sympathizes. You can’t live your life like that, waiting for a disaster to happen. Dante confides he doesn’t want her to go through that. He wants a life with Bridget. Seeing how serious he is, she asks is he prepared to raise another man’s child? He replies yes, he is. He came half way around the world to be with her. He left everything behind, his whole life. And he watched her go though so much pain and he never said one word about it. But right now, he’s taking action. That’s why he needs her support. He picks up a large manila envelope and tells her these came today – Bridget and Nick’s divorce papers. Stephanie gets up and wonders if she has seen them? He tells her not yet. And he knows it’s going to be the hardest thing she’s ever had to do, “but we have to make sure she signs these papers tonight.” Bridget walks in with her arms laden with bags and asks Stephanie what is she doing there?

On The Shady Marlin, Nick is polishing the ship’s bell when he looks up and Brooke is walking through the doorway. He just stares as she says she knows she shouldn’t be there, but she had to talk to him. It was Eric. It’s driving him crazy. Being with him, but not. He can’t wait anymore. He needs her tonight. “Oh, God, Nick, I can’t go on like this.”

Somewhat sarcastically, Bridget states that she hears there are new changes over at Forrester. Stephanie answers that yes, there is, but she’s going to be redistributing stock eventually and nobody is going to be overlooked. Bridget turns on her and asks does she really think she cares about that? Stephanie is trying to remove both her mother and father from the company….and Ridge! Stephanie tells her they can have this conversation eventually, but not tonight. Bridget says she doesn’t see why not. What could be more important? Stephanie hands her the envelope. Thinking it is the inheritance papers, she says she’s not going to sign that without her lawyers looking at it first. Dante tells her it’s the divorce papers. They came by earlier while she was asleep. She takes them and utters she didn’t know they would come so quickly. Stephanie urges her to sign them quickly and her marriage would be over. She understands Nick has been doing quite a bit of talking this week, saying he is no longer in love with her mother. That he just wants Bridget and the baby. Does she believe him? She relies she doesn’t know. She asks again, does she believe it is over between them? She’s trusted Nick before and she has seen what happened. And she and Dante are in agreement, Nick is not to be trusted. Dante tells her he doesn’t want to see her get hurt again. She tells him he seems so sure that is exactly what is going to happen. Stephanie opines that Nick is in love with her mother and she should just be happy she found out before the baby came. Dante stands before her and says, “this is a chance to start a new life. To be your own woman. No more pain, no more deceit. Take it!” Stephanie holds out a pen to her.

Up in his bedroom, Eric picks up his Vegas marriage license and remembers when Stephanie told him that Brooke would be gone before their first anniversary. (how about first month, or even week?) And he’d replies then he would be a fool to say no to the happiest year of his life.

Nick is still silent as Brooke continues that he was right. She never should have married Eric. She doesn’t know how she thought it would work. A marriage when she doesn’t even love him. It’s been nothing but hell for the both of them. And it’s just stripping Eric of his dignity. It’s just wrong! He tells her to end it. She counters with Bridget will find out. He gets up and tells her she has to end this. She knows her daughter; she’s a smart girl. She sees right through this whole thing. She looks at him and says she will never love him. “You know that, and so does Eric. It’ll always be you.” Then she tells him she shouldn’t have said that. Pretend he didn’t hear that. She has to go. He asks her to wait. He reminds her they made a decision together. And he loves Bridget. But, the feelings they (Nick and Brooke) have for each other aren’t going away. You can’t share what they have and expect it to just disappear. It’s not just going away. Not ever! She asks then what is she going to do? How does she move on with her life? She can’t be with Eric….or anybody else. She whispers she guesses they will still have their memories. He nods yeah. She tells him that so much has happened right here. She remembers the night that she discovered just what he was to her. She has a flashback of that occasion, “oh, God’s it you, Nick, it’s you!” And then that night they realized it could never be. She adds, “Nick, never is a long time.” And she hurries off.

Alone in his solitude, Eric lights candles and reflects that tonight is going to say just how much he loves Brooke.

Bridget is defensive. She asks if they had this planned? To both be there when the papers came so they’d make sure she signed them? Stephanie assures her they both care about her and only want what’s best for her. She says she will take care of herself, thank you! Dante tells her she deserves more from life and he can give it to her. Stephanie implores her to sign the papers and everything will work out all right. Bridget snaps that she will be the judge of that, thank you. Stephanie tells her she knows this is difficult, but it has to be done. Bridget fires back that do they realize with just one stroke of the pen her child will never know what it’s like to live under the same roof as both of its parents as family? Dante offers that they can be a family. Stephanie argues that the baby deserves to be loved. And Bridget deserves to live her life not under her mother’s shadow. She and that baby need to know they are the most important thing in the world to the man they are with. “You stay married to Nick, you’ll find out what real loneliness is. Honey, you are a strong and intelligent woman.” Bridget thinks Stephanie just thinks she has a penchant for self-destruction. Stephanie offers not if she holds fast to the truth, no matter how painful it is. Nick believes what he is saying, but it’s not the truth, Stephanie says shaking her head. Bridget declares that Nick loves her (still on that broken record?) Stephanie stops her from turning away. She tells her that her mother, her father and Nick are committed to this lie. They think they are making some grand sacrifice for her. She adds that he’s in love with her mother…….in a way she thinks that will never end. And she’s only trying to spare her the kind of life that she’s had. “You know, where you feel you’re always…..” Bridget finishes it – second best? Dante says not to him, she isn’t. Stephanie begs her to be careful because no matter what Nick says, her mother will always be in his life.

The door opens and Nick says hello, is he interrupting anything? (well, yes, as a matter of fact….) Stephanie answers….she says he is not welcome here anymore, and hands him the papers. He asks what is it? Only too gladly, she tells him his divorce papers. Nick and Bridget stare at each other.

Brooke slips in the door to her house and calls out Eric’s name. He answers that he is upstairs waiting for her. An apprehensive look crosses her face. It’s dark when she enters the bedroom and she calls out his name again. He steps from the shadows and asks if she’d like champagne? A toast. He doesn’t wait for an answer, he pours. Edgy, she tells him there’s something she needs to tell him. He says no, not before…..not another word. “This is my evening for you and you’re not going to say a word to me until I’m finished.” He gives her a devilish smile as he hands her the drink.

Nick glances at the papers in Bridget’s hands and turns to Stephanie to declare that she is just here for moral support, isn’t she? She tells him he has no one to blame but himself. He states he’d like a word with his wife….in private. Stephanie counters that she thinks anything he has to say, he can say in front of them. And Bridget tells him she can’t be alone with him right now. She doesn’t trust herself. He gives in, fine, if she needs an audience, its okay with him.

Stephanie suggests they call her father. He’s not the only one being deceived. There are a lot of sham marriages going on around here! Nick states to them that particular marriage is ending tonight. She stops in her tracks and he asks has the cat got her tongue? She smarts, “no, just surprised that you’re not parked outside of Brooke’s house with your engine all revved up, ready to drive off into the sunset with her." He replies that he is not over there because this is where he belongs and wants to be. Brooke made a mistake with this marriage for all the right reasons. She never meant to hurt Eric. Stephanie declares that Bridget is never going to forgive her mother for the hurt she has caused her. Nick turns to Bridget and asks her to listen to that woman. Does she hear the anger toward her mother? And not to let it end what they have.

Stephanie tries to convince her that the only reason he is here is because Brooke can not accept that she has taken another man from her daughter. She tells her she is his second choice and always will be. He denies that; it is not true!

Bridget asks if it is true that her mother is going to end her marriage? He replies yes, but whatever they do will not and does not affect his feeling for her. Stephanie pipes in “same old tired song.” (amen). He fires at Stephanie that maybe she needs to step out and get some air. Then back to Bridget, that she is his love. Her and him and this child. That’s the future. She replies that she really thought it was. He proclaims it still can be if they want it to be. He thinks they can have that. He is strong. His feet are back under him. Stephanie mutters that it’s too bad they can’t get her mother’s feet back under her.

She then says look, the truth is that Brooke is going to come after him again. She’s going to come crying, needing a man. And it won’t matter in the least that the man she needs is married to her daughter. Nick says it matters to him. She looks into Bridget’s eyes and tells her he promises he will never, ever, let her down again. Stephanie urges again – sign the papers.

Nick swears to Bridget that all he can do is stand there face to face and tell her what’s in his heart. The truth. Trust him. She can trust him. “I want to be back in your life. I am asking you to let us be a family together.” Dante urges her not to listen to him. She’s setting herself up for more pain and deceit.

Stephanie gives it one more push “sign the papers, Bridget.” With Nick nodding no. Bridget looks up into her husband’s eyes.

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