Eric walks out of the bedroom, sits down, and pulls Donna on his lap. Donna serves him strawberries and whipped cream and tells him that she'll always take care of her "honey bear." She tells Eric that she believes in their relationship. He says that each time she tries to sabotage their relationship, she is hurting herself as much as she's hurting him.
Lying on the couch, Eric asks Donna why she is crying and she tells him she can't keep hurting him. He agrees and says she has a problem with her sexual addiction, but they will deal with it together. He believes she made him feel alive again when she came into his life and heart, and nobody will take that away from them. He kisses her check and pulls her into an embrace.
Bridget flies into Nick's office and says she thinks something is wrong with baby Jack. Jackie reassures her nothing is wrong but tells her that she knows the truth about Jack's paternity. Bridget believes Jackie is upset about the mix-up, so she apologizes, but Jackie tells her she believes things were meant to be the way they turned out. Bridget looks at her with a puzzled expression. She reminds Jackie that Nick and Taylor are married and that Jack belongs to them, not Brooke. Jackie says she feels nobody can deny the connection and bond between Brooke and Nick, and reminds Bridget of her sacrifice when she gave Nick up.
Bridget laughs off Jackie's comments about Brooke and Nick's connection, and reminds her of Nick's commitment and marriage to Taylor. Jackie stands up and tells her that they have a stronger bond now that they are Jack's biological parents. She tells her that nobody can sabotage or destroy the bond Nick and Brooke share.
Jackie holds Jack and walks to the window. She tells him his father is a man of integrity and because of that, he is with the wrong woman. She promises him she will not rest until his father is with his real mother.
Brooke walks into her home and Ridge is sitting on the couch. He gets up to greet her but realizes she's upset. When Brooke tries to shrug it off as a long day, he reminds her they promised each other there would be no secrets. Brooke breaks down and tells him what happened between her and Taylor. Ridge is shocked Taylor would go near alcohol again.
Ridge reminds Brooke he warned her if she went near Taylor, it would be a disaster. He feels that Nick and Taylor can handle their own problems and Brooke needs to stay away. Brooke understands and reassures Ridge of her commitment to him, but feels she cannot just turn her back on Jack. Ridge defends Taylor and how she must've felt during their confrontation. Brooke tells him she believes that she may have saved a life if Taylor had been drinking, and she won't allow harm to come to her son.
Ridge reminds Brooke that Jack is Taylor and Nick's child and that she shouldn't feel any differently towards him than she would a child on the playground. Brooke tells him he's wrong-that Jack is a part of her and they share a connection. Brooke listens with tears in her eyes as Ridge begs her to forget about Jack and let him go.
Nick tells Taylor that her temptation to drink scares him. Taylor reassures him she didn't, but says she feels Brooke is the problem and has an unhealthy attachment to Jack. Nick says the problem is their family, not Brooke. Taylor knows alcohol isn't the answer but she wants Nick to support and defend her, not Brooke.
Nick says he feels he's done everything he can to help and support Taylor but their problems are bigger than he can handle. He asks Taylor to be honest and tell him if she can handle Jack or not. Taylor says she believes Nick wants her to leave so he can take Jack and go back to Brooke. She wants to know if Nick wants to end their marriage-if he wants a future with Brooke and their baby-and asks Nick to give her an answer. Nick keeps his back to her and looks troubled.
Crying, Taylor begs Nick for an answer. An emotional Nick reminds Taylor that she gave life to Jack; that Jack knows her touch, voice, and smell. He feels she is letting her rivalry with Brooke affect her love for Jack and he won't let that happen any longer. Nick tells her he loves her and will work on the marriage, but only if she can commit to and love Jack unconditionally. He begs her to become the woman she was when he fell in love with her and asks her to come back to them. Taylor cries, hugs him, and tells him she's there for him, forever.
Nick stopped by the coffeehouse and found Brooke enjoying a cup of coffee after a late night of helping Hope with a school project. When Brooke asked about Taylor and Jack, Nick said that he'd taken a stand with Taylor and told her that he loved her and wanted a life with her with the condition that Taylor must love their child. Nick added that he believed that Taylor would be the mother that Jack needs. When Nick thanked Brooke for having brought baby Jack to him after Brooke discovered that Taylor had poured alcohol into her coffee cup, Brooke warned Nick that just because Taylor didn't take a drink then doesn't mean that she wouldn't in the future. Nick assured Brooke that he would keep an eye on the situation because he is truly committed to Taylor. Brooke cupped her hand over Nick's and told him that he's a wonderful man and that Taylor was lucky to have him. At that moment, Bridget entered the coffeehouse and noticed her mother's hand on Nick's.
When Bridget approached Brooke and Nick, seated together, she asked them sternly what Ridge or Taylor would've thought if one of them had walked in instead. Brooke explained that she and Nick had simply run into each other. After Nick left, Bridget admonished her mother and asked her if she was trying to make trouble. After a startling visit with Taylor, Rick joined Bridget and his mother and asked about the mistake in the lab that caused Taylor to bear Brooke's baby. Bridget and Brooke maintained their innocence, but Brooke voiced her concern about Jack after Rick commented that he'd just left a distraught Taylor who seemed depressed and anguished.
Outside Taylor and Nick's, a blustery storm brewed as a haggard Taylor weathered an ever-growing emotional storm inside. Taylor struggled to come to grips with the fact that Brooke is connected to her life through baby Jack and by virtue of the fact that Nick and Brooke once shared a life together. Taylor tried to rid herself of Brooke physically by purging her home of all traces of Nick's past with Brooke. When Jackie stopped by for a visit, she marveled at the artifacts Taylor had collected and packed away in cardboard boxes. Although Taylor offered Jackie the explanation that she and Nick sought to decorate their home in their own style with their own things, Jackie realized Taylor's true intentions.
Before Jackie left, however, she mentioned the fact that Nick and Brooke had never actually lived in the house Taylor and Nick currently occupy; therefore Jackie added, no amount of redecorating or purging could erase Brooke from Taylor's life completely. Taylor corrected Jackie and told her mother-in-law that she planned to get Brooke out of her house, out of her mind and out of her life completely. Just after Jackie walked out the door, however, Taylor discovered a photo album stuffed with pictures of Nick and Brooke as a happy couple and candid shots of Nick with Brooke and of Nick with Brooke and her kids enjoying fun family events. Taylor voiced her concern aloud that Nick had saved all of these photographs. As Taylor stared, mesmerized by an older photo of Nick with Brooke, she became even more distraught. When Taylor heard a knock at the door, she quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and answered the door. Her visitor was Rick, who stopped by with a gift. Rick asked Taylor if she was okay. Before Taylor could offer a response, Rick rightly guessed that his mother was at the heart of Taylor's misery. When Rick peered into Jack's crib, he innocently remarked that the baby was the image of his mother. Rick's comment hit Taylor like a bolt of lightning. Taylor grasped her throat and was overtaken by a panic attack after she saw a vision of Brooke standing beside Jack's crib. Taylor's vision of Brooke spoke and agreed that the baby, indeed, looks like his mother.
After Rick managed to ease Taylor's panic attack, he began questioning Taylor about her problems. Taylor asked Rick if his mother had ever mentioned what had happened as she motioned over to Jack in his crib. Rick thought for a moment, and then he realized just how his mother was connected to Jack. Rick was shocked by the realization. Taylor sobbed. Rick offered his sympathy for Taylor's plight. Taylor explained that she had learned about Jack's maternity when the newborn needed a bone marrow transplant from his biological mother. Taylor added that although Brooke was responsible for saving Jack's life, she wasn't grateful to Brooke. Rick said that he understood Taylor's feelings because he knew that his mother's constant pursuit of Ridge had hurt Taylor time and time again. However, Rick explained that although his mother wasn't likely responsible for the lab mix-up, that mistake would always connect Brooke to Taylor's life. Before he left, Rick made Taylor promise to call if she ever needed his help. Taylor curled up in a chair and whispered aloud to herself pitifully that she'd never be able to escape Brooke.
After Taylor tried to regain a sense of sanity, she again thumbed through the photos in the box. She cursed the opportunistic Brooke and remarked that Brooke finally had Ridge. That thought made Taylor more irate. Taylor screamed aloud to herself that Brooke is now going after her new man, Nick. During her mad fit, Taylor saw a vision of Brooke leaning over Jack. Taylor rushed over the crib, but when she attempted to push Brooke aside, the vision vanished. Jack cooed at Taylor, who seemed oblivious to the baby's presence. Taylor was curled up on the sofa crying when Nick came home. After Nick saw the photos, he apologized for having forgotten that they were there. As she sobbed, Taylor cried out that Brooke was everywhere. Suddenly, Taylor bolted from the sofa in horror as she spotted visions of Brooke, first near the dining room and then near the staircase. Every time Taylor attempted to avert her gaze, another vision of Brooke appeared before her. Nick held Taylor in his arms as she sobbed uncontrollably.
A hysterical Taylor tells Nick she cannot get Brooke out of her head. Nick tells her he thought she was feeling better. She tells him she was before Brooke invaded her mind. He asks her if she's been drinking, which she adamantly denies. She is upset and tells him Brooke planted seeds of doubt in his mind. He reassures her that he trusts her and was just concerned that she would turn to alcohol considering how upset she is.
Nick tries to reason with Taylor about her feelings and tells her to get a grip. Crying, Taylor tells him she wants to but everywhere she turns she's reminded of Brooke. She walks over to the boxes, takes out a photo album. She tells him she needs to know he has moved on and asks him to dispose of his memories of Brooke. She puts the album back, pulls out a music CD and asks if it's a song he wrote for Brooke. Nick reassures her that Brooke is his past and she is his future. She breathes a sigh of relief and thanks him. He offers to plan Jack's christening and see to all the details. He says all she has to do is his hold his head when they "dunk" him. Taylor laughs and tells him she can handle that.
Nick takes off his coat and starts moving the boxes out to the garage. When he leaves the room, his cell phone beeps. Taylor calls to him but he doesn't hear her. She picks up the phone and sees a message from Brooke that reads, "Spoke to Rick. He said Taylor is losing it again. Are Jack and Taylor okay? Call me ASAP." Taylor gets angry and heads out the door.
Brooke, Bridget, and Rick walk into Brooke's office as Rick and Brooke argue about Jack. Rick turns to Bridget, asks her how the mix-up could have happened, and wants to know if she's sorry. Frustrated, Bridget tells him she's apologized a million times to a million people over what happened. Rick looks at Brooke and reminds her that she still has feelings for Nick and now they now share a child together. He is furious when Brooke reveals she signed away her parental rights, and he demands to know if Ridge made her do it.
Rick encourages Brooke to go after Nick and Jack and make a life with them. He tells her it's a sign from the "big guy" and she should take it. Brooke is visibly upset and reminds Rick that Nick is married and has a family. Bridget yells at Rick and wants to know why he would encourage her to break up Nick and Taylor's marriage when she's finally found some happiness with Ridge. Rick tells them how hurt Taylor is over all of this and how he is trying to do Brooke a favor. He tells them about Taylor's panic attack, which rattles Brooke, and she demands to know if he smelled alcohol on Taylor's breath. Rick tells her he didn't and Brooke walks away, claiming she has a lot of work to do. Bridget grabs Rick and tells him it's time to leave. Rick walks to the door, turns, and tells Brooke he's trying to get her to follow her heart and do what is right for everyone involved. He leaves, closing the door behind him, while Brooke watches him go with tears in her eyes.
Nick comes down the stairs as the doorbell rings. He opens the door and lets Rick in. Rick inquires into Taylor's whereabouts and Nick says that she was there but must've left. Rick admits he knows about Jack's maternity and tells Nick he has a chance now that he has the child he's always wanted with Brooke. They discuss how Brooke is committed to her relationship with Ridge. Rick tells Nick that he and Taylor should just cut their losses. Rick says Nick needs to allow Taylor to become the woman she once was, and at the same time, to save Brooke from falling into the cesspool of misery with Ridge again. Nick reminds him that he loves Taylor, and Rick tells him if he loves Taylor as much as he says he does, he'll let her go. Rick tells him that Brooke can give both Jack and Nick everything they need, then he walks out the door, leaving Nick deep in thought.
Brooke is remembering her last conversation with Nick when Taylor storms into her office and slams the door shut. She demands to know what Brooke is up to and tells her to stop calling her husband, text messaging him, and having conversations with him. Taylor wants to know if she's got Nick waiting in the wings in case things don't work out with Ridge again. Brooke assures her she does not want Nick or Jack, and is happy with Ridge. Taylor demands that Brooke butt out of her life, but Brooke tells her every time she tries, she hears from someone that Taylor is having a hard time with Jack's maternity. She expresses concern for both Taylor and Jack's wellbeing, and warns Taylor that if Taylor can't be a mother to Jack, she won't just stand by. Taylor asks Brooke if she feels a connection to Jack as a mother and Brooke tells her she does, but it doesn't mean she is going to take him away. Brooke reassures Taylor that she can be a good mother to Jack, she just needs to pull it together and be a strong woman again.
Brooke does her best to reassure Taylor. She asks Taylor what she is afraid of, and tells her to stop blaming herself for everything that is going wrong. Brooke reminds her that she has a husband who loves her and a beautiful child to love and care for. Frustrated, Taylor claims she is trying and that she has never felt this way. She looks Brooke in the eye and tells her she knows what path she chose, and vows to fight with whatever it takes to keep her family.
Taylor pulls herself out of the doldrums to confront Brooke. Again. At Brooke's office, Taylor seethes that Brooke needs to stay away from her family. Brooke counters that she is concerned for Taylor and the baby. She begs Taylor to be strong and be a good mother. Taylor concedes that she needs to stop being so insecure.
At Nick and Taylor's, Jackie sees photos of Nick and Brooke with her kids, and asks if he is getting rid of the pictures as Taylor requested. She starts in on Nick for the thousandth time about how he belongs with Brooke, the mother of his child. She says he was always happy with Brooke. Nick tells her to stop and leaves with the photos. He takes them to Brooke's office and insists that he just couldn't throw them away, but Taylor doesn't want them around. Brooke says that Nick just needs a friend, and she wants to be there for him. He confides that he wants Taylor to be a good mother, and that his life is a mess. He wants to christen the baby, and he's worried about Taylor. Brooke tells him that she loves Baby Jack and wants to be a part of his christening, but knows she can't. They look longingly at one another repeatedly. He starts to tell her, "I look at you..." then he stops and apologizes. Brooke shares that Taylor was there to tell her to butt out again, but she thinks it ended well, and she believes Taylor will be fine.
Once she's home, Taylor encounters Jackie who tries to talk to Taylor, but Taylor won't hear it. She tells her mother-in-law that she knows Jackie wants Brooke as a daughter-in-law, but it's too late. Taylor is married to Jackie's son and Taylor is Jack's mother. She tells Jackie that if she can't respect that, she will no longer be welcome in Taylor and Nick's home, and she will miss out on time with her grandson. Jackie purses her lips and leaves.
Taylor goes to her bedroom and whispers to herself, "Brooke does not exist." But as she turns, she sees a vision of Brooke holding the baby and singing. Then, she turns again and sees Brooke mounting Nick on the bed as Taylor throws books at the bed. She screams and runs downstairs seeing Brooke and Nick in a horizontal embrace on the couch. Crying that it's all in her head, she rips open the liquor cabinet and hauls out a bottle of liquor. She hesitates then puts it to her lips and swigs once, turning slowly to see if the visions are gone. The room is normal, with no Brooke atop Nick. She drinks again, choking on the liquor, and then guzzles a third time with the bottle upside down. She sinks to the floor calmly holding the bottle.
Nick comes out of the shower and sees that Taylor is awake. Taylor tells him that she had a great night's sleep then asks Nick if they can talk before he heads to the office. Nick leaves the room to get dressed, while Taylor tells herself that Brooke won't get to her any longer. She takes a bottle of alcohol from between the mattresses, takes a swig, puts the bottle back and uses breathe spray to cover the smell. Nick walks back in the bedroom, buttoning his shirt and Taylor talks about everything that's happened, how supportive he's been and how she's taken his love for granted. She tells him she feels great and it's a new day as she begins to seduce him.
In bed, Taylor tells Nick she is putting the past behind her as they both laugh and joke in between kisses. She tells him she loves both him and Jack unconditionally then jumps out of bed, gets the baby out of his bassinet and brings him into bed with them. Nick asks Taylor what happened to make her so loving and accepting overnight. She doesn't answer him and gets up and puts Jack back in his bassinet. Nick asks her again so she tells him she's a psychiatrist and if the mind is strong enough, it can control the emotions instead of the other way around. Nick looks puzzled as Taylor tells him she is ready to be there for him and the baby. He asks her about Brooke and she tells him it's in the past because she knows he loves her and their family.
Nick dresses and leaves for work. Taylor goes to the bed and removes the liquor bottle from between the mattresses. She says she doesn't need it and then walks over to the bassinet, holding the liquor, and gazes at Jack. She tells him she is going to be the best mother and calls him her son. She walks back across the room saying she doesn't need it and uncaps the bottle. Jack starts to cry and Taylor walks over to console him and acts nervous. She sits down in the chair and starts drinking then stands next to Jack's bassinet and tells him it'll be okay.
Storm and Katie are talking in her office. Katie tells him she's thrilled he is back with them. Storm talks about how he is in counseling to deal with his anger and issues and mentions he wants to talk to Stephanie to thank her for not pressing charges against him. Katie tells him it's a bad idea because if Stephanie sees him, she may change her mind. Just then Donna walks in, Storm tells her the same thing and Donna agrees with Katie. Katie tries to convince Storm to return to Europe to spend time with their father. Storm tells her he'll consider it, kisses both girls and leaves. Katie looks at Donna and demands she end things with Eric immediately.
Donna tells Katie it is not that easy, that she is not only thinking about herself, but Eric too. She tells Katie she and Eric are soulmates and they are planning a future together. Katie begs her to not base their brother's future on something that may not be a year down the road. She tells her that keeping Storm out of prison is the most important thing and that she needs to protect their brother like he protected her. Katie again begs Donna to end things with Eric.
Katie informs Donna that Stephanie is due home and has called her because Donna isn't answering her calls. She tells her that Stephanie isn't happy Donna hasn't kept her end of the bargain. Donna gets upset and argues that Stephanie is blackmailing them and reminds Katie of how Stephanie tried to beat Brooke down for years and that Stephanie is also responsible for Brooke getting raped. She rants to Katie that Stephanie doesn't care about anyone's happiness but her own. Donna tells her that Stephanie freed Stephen and now it's their word against hers and they should call her bluff.
Katie asks Donna if she is out of her mind. Katie doesn't want Stephanie to hold anything over their heads, but she is concerned about the alternative of Storm going to jail. She pleads with Donna to not let Storm or the family down, to end things with Eric so they can move forward. Donna yells at Katie to stop putting pressure on her as she has enough already. She tells Katie to trust her as she has a plan and leaves. Katie watches her go with a worried look on her face.
In Eric's hotel room, Donna is sitting on the couch reminiscing about Eric. The door opens and she calls out Eric's name and tells him they need to talk. When she turns, she finds Stephanie standing there. Stephanie tells her it's simple, all she has to tell Eric is that it's over.
