Chapter 9:

It's been about a week since Ridge called Thomas to come home. Steffy has moved her and Phoebe into a new home in Malibu while waiting for her cliff house to sell. It's a big beautiful house on the beach. Ridge has bought a bachelor pad on the cliff near Steffy's beach house, he is still in the process of moving all of his stuff out of Brooke's house. Now that he is leaving it is suddenly their home, and not just her house. Every time he goes there to get more of his stuff she tries to seduce him into coming home. Whenever he brings up what Hope did to Steffy she takes to bad mouthing his daughter again, which just celitifies him leaving.

Thomas and Caroline have just moved back a few days earlier. They decided to stay with Steffy until after baby Sophia is born so Caroline won't have to do much moving while pregnant. Steffy is happy for the company anyway since it is such a big house for just her and Phoebe for now. Everyone is meeting at Steffy's to discuss their next move. "So what's the plan?" Asks Thomas, "We have the majority shares all here, but they are still divided amoungst all of us."

"That's true," Steffy agrees, "We'll have to sign them all over to one person. We will just have to trust that we will not betray each other."

"Never," Ridge says with confidence, "But who do we sign the shares over to?"

"I think it should be Thomas." Steffy says.

Thomas looks surprised, "Me? I was going to suggest you."

"I appriciate that," Steffy smiles, "But Dad and I are to close to all the scandal right now. I think it would be better for you to take the reigns."

"I agree." Ridge nods.

"Ok, I won't let you down Dad."

"I know, let's do this."

Ridge and Steffy sign their shares over to Thomas. They set their plan into motion.

The next day at Forrester Thomas, Ridge, and Steffy all walk into the CEO office at Forrester. Eric is there behind the desk with Donna standing behind him flirting. Once she notices the three of them walk in she gets uncomfortable knowing how unprofessional she was just being with the married CEO of the company.

Eric gathers his thoughts, "Thomas," He gets up and hugs his grandson, "I heard you and Caroline came back. Welcome home."

Thomas hugs his grandfather back, "Thanks, but I've been hearing that we are promoting struggling lines."

"Well it's Hope's line. Brooke assures us it will do better."

Thomas sadly laughs to himself, he cannot believe that his grandfather is so disollusioned. "But the numbers were pathetic for a Forrester creation, and from what I hear there is going to be a huge scandal approaching."

Eric turns and looks at Steffy and Ridge, "Well it depends on what they are telling you."

"Hope is pregnant by Liam, who was engaged to Steffy."

"It's more complicated than that." Eric tries to reason.

"Thanks Granddad," Steffy says sarcastically, "It's good to know your on my side."

"Well things are going to change." Thomas says.

"What are you talking about?" Eric inquires, "I have a majority share, what I say goes and we are investing in HFTF. If you want to help out then start designing for it."

Thomas can't help but think of his late grandmother and how she would react to her company being run like this, "I'm not going to design for HFTF, we are shelving that line indefinately." Thomas stares at his grandfather who is staring back at him confused, "And you are not the majority share holder any more, I am."

"What?! How?" Eric still stunned.

"We pulled our shares together and gave them to Thomas." Ridge chimed in.

Eric, still looking shocked, "How could you do this to me? I'm your father, your gandfather."

"It wasn't an easy decision granddad," Steffy says, "We love you, but we couldn't help but think about what grandma would think of all this. She would be furious that you were taking the side of Brooke Logan over your own child and grandchildren."

"Stephanie made peace with Brooke before she passed away."

"Dad," Ridge quietly says, trying to choke back tears thinking of his fraile mother at the end of her life, "You know as well as I do that Mom was not in her right state of mind at the end there. She wasn't calling anyone by their correct names, she was delusional."

"Do you really think this is how she would want her company run like this?" Thomas asks, "To be pushing a floundering line just because it belongs to Brooke's daughter, who just got pregnant with the co-CEO's fiance. Can you imagine the scandal when the press gets a hold of this information?"

"So that's it? Your pushing me out?"

"No Dad, you still have shares in the company. But we are going to start running this like a business."

"First things first," Thomas says, "Hope Logan is fired for violating the morality claus. Her termination is effective immediately. Hope for the Future is to be shelved indefinately. One of our other PR reps will be coming up with the statement since it would be a conflict of interest for Katie to do so."

Eric just stands there dumbfounded not knowing what to say. Thomas continues, "Titles will be changing too, I will be CEO, Steffy will be COO, Dad will be head of design, and you will continue to be head designer of coture. Now if you will excuse me granddad, I have to have a meeting with Hope to break the news."

Eric, stunned, leaves the office to head to the design office.