Chapter fourteen!
Taylor, Ridge and the kids arrived at the beach house. They spread out several blankets on the sand and were enjoying the wonderful picnic.
"I always love being here! It's just so beautiful!" gushed Steffy.
"Yes, indeed!" agreed Thomas with her. "If only there wasn't all this sand everywhere!" He patted off his pants and rolled up his pants further. Taylor laughed.
"You didn't mind the sand so much in the past. When you were a little kiddo, all you ever wanted to do was play on the beach and dig in the sand. And at night you used to drag half the beach into the house. You literally had the sand everywhere!" Everyone started laughing. Gaining the momentum, Ridge and Taylor told their kids more anecdotes about their time together at the beach house. Steffy listened, spellbound.
"If you guys loved your time here so much, why did you move away?"
"You were not entirely innocent of that, my dear sweet daughter!" explained Ridge. "And so was your delightful sister!"
Steffy looked at him, puzzled.
"Your father is right! When I was pregnant with you two, we realized that the house was too small for a family of five. That's why your father convinced me that we needed more space. We then found the mansion in Bel Air through a real estate agent. Well at first your father had some reservations about moving there." She gave him a saucy look; Ridge promptly became a little embarrassed.
"Seriously, Dad?" asked Thomas in amazement. "You didn't want to move into our house? Why not, the house is gigantic?!"
Ridge stuttered around a little sheepish.
"Oh, that was just because of a really silly old story, totally stupid!"
"Oha, now it's getting interesting!" Steffy pricked up her ears. But Taylor rebuffed.
"You don't have to care about the details. This is a story between your father and me!" Taylor realized, with the Pierce incident, neither of them would come out of it well.
"Anyway..." she continued, trying to distract Thomas and Steffy. "...your father changed his mind and secretly bought the house as a surprise for me."
"What? You didn't know anything about it?"
"No, the day I was released from the hospital with you, I was a little crestfallen at first because I thought we didn't even have a proper home for you..."
"Your mom had no idea that I in the meantime, with the help of your Grandpa Jack and the rest of the family had the house all set up. And then I unobtrusively lured your mom to our new home. By the way, that was one of the few moment in her life where she was completely speechless!"
"I was just stunned. I mean, your father was always good for a surprise. But this was quite a shock! But one of the best shocks in my life!"
As Taylor and Ridge told the story, Thomas and Steffy noticed the looks they exchanged all the time. Both felt a sizzle in the air.
Stephanie and Eric sat together and shared the latest news about Phoebe.
"I hope so much that both Steffy and Phoebe will come through the surgery unscathed and that the surgery helps Phoebe to get back on her feet."
"Yes, I think we all pray for that! This story just has to end well. I don't even want to imagine what will happen if Phoebe retains something or worse case scenario..."
Eric didn't even dare finish the sentence. He paused for a long moment. "For Rick, the situation is terrible, too. He's suffering so badly and I'm afraid as long as Phoebe is in this bad shape, it won't stop." Stephanie couldn't help herself. She rolled her eyes, which Eric noticed very well.
"I know what you're thinking Stephanie and I also know you don't like Rick. But he's not to blame for the accident!"
"That hasn't been proven yet, Eric!" countered Stephanie. "The police only have Rick's statement so far, and who can guarantee us he's telling the truth?! Rick wouldn't be the first to lie to protect himself in a situation like this!"
"But what would Rick have to gain from it? Surely he must expect Phoebe to wake up at any time and the truth to come out. Stephanie, I know Ridge and you are looking for someone to blame and you think you've found this person in Rick, but you're getting nowhere!"
"We'll see about that!"
The two were interrupted by a heavy knocking on the door.
All the while, both Thomas and Steffy, as well as their parents, had been busy eating and now there was only one sandwich left. Steffy and Thomas both wanted to reach for it.
"Hey hands off! That's mine!" declared Thomas.
"No, that's mine! Mom, who gets the last sandwich?" Taylor raised her hands.
"You guys will settle this amongst yourselves. You're past that age where I had to play the referee."
"I just got out from the hospital! I need to recover and get my strength back!"
"Pah and I'm a lot bigger and stronger and need a lot more energy!"
"You know what!" declared Ridge curtly. "When two fight, the third one wins!" and without hesitation, he grabbed the sandwich and took a big bite. Steffy was content with an apple. Only Thomas was still scowling a bit. His mother offered him some carrot sticks, but Thomas only said scornfully that he wasn't a rabbit. Taylor looked around triumphantly.
"And who all made fun of me for packing too much?!"
Ridge put his arm around her.
"We admit it, you are and always will be the smart brain in this family!"
Steffy nudged her brother and winked. She jumped up.
"I think I need some exercise after all this food!" Thomas immediately saw through Steffy's true intentions.
"Oh yeah! Me too!" and he rose as well.
"You're not going in the water, are you? It's way too cold! Steffy, you have to be careful! You definitely can't catch an infection!"
"Don't panic Mom! We don't want to go swimming. We just want to..." Steffy pondered, but that's when Thomas rescued them.
"We just want to find a pretty shell. For Phoebe as a lucky charm!"
Before their parents could ask any more stupid questions, the two made to get away as quickly as possible.
Eric was surprised to see Brooke frantically rushing past him.
"Eric, you are my last resort. I'm completely desperate, do you happen to know where Ridge is?"
"No, I have no idea! He just texted me this morning to say he won't be in the office today and that Steffy is fine and will stay at home until further notice."
"Yeah, I know that as well. But now I can't find him and I can't reach him either!"
Brooke stepped into the living area and realized, Eric and she were not alone.
"Hi Stephanie!"
"Hello Brooke!" The latter greeted her coolly. "I suppose Ridge is with Taylor and the kids where he is needed now and if I may give you some advice dear Brooke! You should leave Ridge and his family alone now. They need to get through this situation together and Taylor and the kids need Ridge right now and he needs them too!"
"Excuse me! But I'm still Ridge's fiancée and I'm his family too!"
Eric tried to mediate between the two squabblers.
"No one is questioning that Brooke! I think what Stephanie is trying to say..."
"I know exactly what she's trying to say!" Brooke glared venomously at Stephanie.
"You're secretly hoping that Taylor and Ridge will get back together through this story. But that's not going to happen!"
"Well right now, you seem to do everything you can to drive him into her arms! All you can do right now is argue with Ridge and blame him and why? Just because you won't accept that your holy son made a mistake!"
"Stephanie, that's enough!" declared Eric angrily. She stared at him hurt, then picked up her bag.
"I get it! I think it's better if I leave now! Otherwise I'll end up saying something I'll regret afterwards!"
Without another word, she marched past the two of them and rushed out the door. Eric took Brooke, who was in tears by now, into his arms.
"Now just calm down! Everything is going to be okay with you and Ridge." Brooke threw herself into his arms and started crying all the more.
"Do you have any idea what that was all about with Thomas and Steffy right now?" Taylor smiled mischievously.
"Let's just say I have my suspicions. I'll just say 'Parent Trap alert'"
"Oh, I see. You mean the two of them wanted us..."
"Exactly! I think they both wanted to give us an opportunity to be alone. I have a strange feeling those two are on some kind of a mission!"
"Well, once our kids get something into their heads. But actually, it's also sweet that they care so much about our family and I can imagine worse things than sitting here alone on the beach with you."
He gave her a look that still made her melt away. But Taylor played cool.
"So you're not scared to be alone with me?!" She gave him a cheeky glance. Ridge laughed out loud.
"No, or should I be? I mean, in all the years since we've known each other, I've never been afraid of being alone with you!"
"Really never?!"
"Well, let's put it this way. Sometimes I might have been a little intimidated by you. You often had a way of arguing, where I knew full well I could only lose. I was never quite up to you, Doc!"
"I think you always hold your own pretty well."
They both fell silent. Ridge peeked at Taylor from the side. He noticed, suddenly, she had a melancholy expression on her face. He put his hand on hers.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I was just thinking about the past. About our time here at the beach house and Thomas as a baby."
"Yes, those were some of our happiest times."
"Indeed. In retrospect, I sometimes regret not appreciating that time enough. I took so much for granted. I wish I had been much more aware of all the beautiful moments and focused more on the good things. When I think of all the silly trivialities we fought about...looking back, so many things seem so ridiculous. If I had known what to expect in the future and that I wouldn't be gone for a long time, I would have valued the beautiful, precious moments much more and treasured them in my heart forever."
"I think I understand what you mean. I feel the same way right now."
"How so?"
"Oh nothing!" He initially wanted to brush her off, feeling uncomfortable talking to her about it, but Taylor didn't let go.
"It's kind of the same situation with me and Brooke. Basically, we could have such a beautiful life together. She loves me, I love her and we both love our son. It could all be perfect, but somehow we never manage to hold on to our happiness. At the slightest crisis it drives us apart every time. I'm wondering more and more if I can go on like this!"
Taylor understood what he was getting at.
"I think it's good that for once you're thinking about how you want your life to go on. After all, it's a crucial question."
"I actually want nothing more than for Brooke and I to finally be happy. But it almost looks like life has something else in store for us." He saw Taylor lower her gaze. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that! I'm pretty insensitive sometimes."
"No, it's okay! I'm well aware even though you're staying in the guest room right now and spending a lot of time with us, you're still engaged to Brooke and still feel committed to her. I'm not naive Ridge and I know that a breakup between you two has nothing to say and at the end you do end up walking down the aisle. I've accepted that!"
"Really?" Ridge scrutinized her, Taylor looked him straight in the eye.
"Yes, of course!"
She laughed nervously, Ridge put his arm around her.
"I still want you to know that you and the kids mean a lot to me and that will never change."
"I know Ridge and that means a lot to me too. You know, even though we'll never be lovers again. I will always love you and that's why I wish that this bond that unites us will never break. You are still one of the most important persons in my life and I don't want to lose that!"
"I feel the same way! I'm very grateful that I can always count on your support. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without you!"
He pulled her close to him and she snuggled into his side. Together they glanced at the ocean.
Thomas and Steffy had walked to some rocks, behind which they now were hiding and watching their parents. They could not hear what they say, but they could see the intimate contact between them. When they saw their mother lying in their father's arms, their hearts beamed.
"Look at them Thomas. They seem so content and familiar with each other. There's still magic between them!"
"Yeah I just wish Dad would finally realize that Mom is the perfect woman for him and he could get away from Brooke."
"Yeah, that would be the best for all of us! Sometimes I'd like to inject him with a giant syringe of 'Anti-Logan poison' so he'd finally become immune against her."
Thomas had to laugh terribly at this idea. He couldn't stop at all. Finally, the two of them left their observation post and set about finding a nice shell for Phoebe so as not to blow their cover.
Brooke came home completely exhausted. She had just tried to contact Ridge again, but had only ended up on his voicemail. Gradually, she really didn't understand what was going on. It was not Ridge's style to be unreachable all day. When she stepped into the house, she was surprised to find Katie there.
"Hey, what are you doing here? Did we have an appointment?"
"No! But I wanted to check how you all are holding up. I brought some food with me!"
Rick was already sitting at the table, enjoying the salad his aunt brought him.
"That's very sweet of you!" Brooke gave her sister a big hug.
"Well someone has to check on you. Where's RJ?"
"He's sleeping over at a friend's house tonight, thank goodness. He really had enough of this whole mess and my fights with Ridge."
"What is going on with you and Ridge?" Brooke sighed exhaustively and slumped down on the couch.
"You better not ask. I don't know what's going on with him. Every time we see each other we just fight and lately he's been ignoring me. I can't get him on his phone all day."
"Oh, that doesn't mean anything. Maybe he's just really busy or at the hospital with Phoebe?!"
"No, he's not. Ridge hasn't been in the office today, and he's not at the hospital either. I think he's somewhere else!"
"Where else would he be?"
"I suspect, or rather I fear, he is somewhere having a good time with his 'real family'. Taylor, Thomas and Steffy are not at home or anywhere else either. They're probably all going on a trip together as a 'happy family'!"
"I don't believe that!" wondered Katie, aghast. "I mean, they really do have other things to worry about right now than going somewhere to have fun and even if they did all go somewhere together...that doesn't mean anything. Of course, this whole tragic story with Phoebe is bonding them together, and of course Ridge surely wants to be there for Steffy and Thomas. But you really don't have to worry about that. By the time Phoebe is well again, things will go back to normal and Ridge will be reaching out to you more!"
"I hope so! I really do hope so. But unfortunately, that's not the only problem. Ridge just can't seem to get a grip on his aggression towards Rick and he doesn't want to accept the fact that Rick isn't responsible for the accident."
Rick cleared his throat nervously and swallowed.
"But I thought the police had dropped the investigation by now!"
"Well, not exactly. Lt. Baker doesn't want to close the case until Phoebe has given her statement as well."
"I see, but then it's only a matter of time before everything settles down. When Phoebe wakes up and recovers, then she can confirm how it was and then the whole story will clear up!"
Rick accidentally knocked over his glass. Startled by the sound, Brooke and Katie turned to him.
"All okay, no harm done! I think I'll retire. I'm pretty beaten. Good night Mom, good night Aunt Katie. Thanks again for the salad."
"You're welcome!"
Katie waited until Rick was gone.
"He still seems relatively distraught. Is everything okay with him?"
"Yes, sure! The whole situation is weighing on him. Phoebe still means a lot to him, and all this suspicions are putting a terrible strain on him."
"Yeah it's certainly not easy for him, but you'll see, soon the whole spook will be over! As soon as Phoebe gives her statement, the police and especially Ridge and Taylor find out what really happened!"
For a brief moment, Brooke stared at Katie, startled, then abruptly turned away. Katie noticed that Brooke was avoiding her.
"I mean, you're convinced that Rick was telling the truth, right?"
"Yes, of course!" replied Brooke firmly. She looked her sister straight in the eye.
"Of course Rick is telling the truth! It was exactly the way he described it to the police!"
It was getting late at night when Taylor and Ridge returned from their outing with Thomas and Steffy. Everyone was tired, but in a relaxed and happy mood. They had enjoyed this day very much and even though their thoughts were constantly with Phoebe, it did them all good to spend a few carefree hours for once. Especially Thomas and Steffy were extremely happy with the outcome of the day. They both felt that this day had brought them closer together as a family.
While Taylor disappeared into the kitchen, Thomas and Steffy sat down with their father in the living room. Steffy stretched.
"I enjoyed this day so much. It felt so good to be outside on the beach, especially after all the time in the hospital and knowing I'll have to get back in there pretty soon. When Phoebe has recovered and is back on her feet, we should do this again! All together!"
She peeked hopefully at her father, and he nodded at her.
"We'll definitely do that!"
"Promise?!" echoed Thomas. Ridge raised his hand to swear.
"Firmly promised!"
Then Ridge remembered something, frantically he began tapping his pockets.
"Are you looking for something, Dad?"
"Yeah, my phone! I want to see if Brooke might have called me!"
Thomas and Steffy made startled faces. Thomas' blood rushed to his brain. There was no way his father could find out that he had blocked Brooke's phone calls.
"I think I left my jacket in the car!" Ridge was about to get up when Thomas was already on his feet.
"Relax, Dad!" I'll get it, I left my sunglasses in the car as well." Thomas was already heading for the door. Behind his father's back, he made hand signals to Steffy that she should distract their father for as long as possible. Steffy immediately understood what her brother wanted her to do.
"Dad, about Phoebe, um...have you thought about how we're going to handle the press? I know Mom and you don't want to put out a statement if possible, but Forrester Creation is getting more and more inquiries about what's actually going on. By now, all the media know that Rick and Phoebe were involved in an accident and that Phoebe is in the hospital."
"I think right now the situation is still too vaguely to issue a press release. After all, we don't know ourselves what will happen next. So I think it's best to wait and not inflame the issue unnecessarily.
"Yes, I'm sure you're right. I wish this waiting would finally come to an end!"
"Your mother and I want to go back to the hospital tomorrow and talk to the doctors again. Maybe then we'll finally find out when the surgery will be."
"I hope so!"
Thomas came back into the house.
"Here Dad, your jacket!"
"Thank you!" Thomas started to yawn.
"Oh, I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go right to bed!"
"I'm tired too!" said Steffy and started yawning as well. The two said good night to their father. Steffy gave him a kiss.
"It was really a beautiful day!"
"Yeah, I enjoyed it too. Sleep well you two!"
The siblings went upstairs. Steffy pulled Thomas into her room.
"So?" she asked him tensely.
"All clear! I deleted all the calls and messages and set everything back!"
"Good!" Steffy breathed a sigh of relief, but Thomas made a worried face.
"There's still one problem, though!" Steffy looked at him in shock. "Dad may not be able to see Brooke trying to reach him all the time. But all those messages are also stored in Brooke's phone. She can show them to Dad any time she wants, and then he might find out that someone's been on his phone and deleted everything."
"Of course, bloody hell!" fretted Steffy. "So what are we going to do? If Brooke shows Dad the messages, we're screwed! He'll know right away that we have something to do with it."
"There's only one way!" Steffy looked at her brother expectantly. "We've got to get Brooke's cell phone somehow, and before she can talk to Dad." Steffy snorted disdainfully.
"Great plan! Nothing easier than grabbing Brooke' on the fly. How do you figure we shall get it?"
"I have no idea, but we have to make it work somehow." Steffy thought hard.
"Mhhh, Dad just told me Mom and he are going to the hospital first thing in the morning to talk with the doctors. That gives us a little head start on time. Let's hope Brooke comes to the office tomorrow morning. Then we'll have to distract her somehow and delete all the messages from her memory."
"It's our only chance, or everything will blow up!"
The next morning, Thomas and Steffy seemed very tense and nervous. Taylor noticed her children's restlessness, but didn't give it much thought. Her mind was back on Phoebe. While Taylor and Ridge left for the hospital, Thomas and Steffy drove to Forrester Creation. First they stopped by to see their grandfather. He was very happy to see them. He immediately asked them about Phoebe, but all they could tell him was that everyone was waiting for the surgery. Eric gave Steffy a sympathetic hug.
"You really are a brave girl! What you're willing to do for Phoebe, that's really a big gesture and I want you to know how proud we all are of you!" Steffy rebuffed.
"It's only natural! Phoebe is my twin sister and it's perfectly normal for me to help her. She'd do the same for me any time."
"Still, it's a big deal and I pray it turns out well. For Phoebe, for you, and for all of us!" Steffy let her grandfather give her another hug. His encouragement always did her good. Then Eric remembered something.
"By the way, where were you all yesterday? Brooke was looking for you and your father all day and couldn't find you or reach you anywhere?" Thomas and Steffy exchanged nervous glances.
"We were at the beach house with Mom and Dad. We thought a little fresh air and a change of scenery would do us good."
"I see, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea. You all have a lot to cope with right now!"
"Is Brooke here today?" asked Steffy as casually as she could.
"Yeah, I just saw her a minute ago. She was going to get a coffee in the Sky Lounge."
"Mhh…..we need to get to work. See you later!"
"Take care, you two!"
Steffy pulled Thomas out of the office. Outside, she hissed at him.
"This is our chance!" The two strolled as unobtrusively as they could to Brooke's office and lay in wait.
Taylor and Ridge, meanwhile, sat with the doctor in his consulting room. He informed them that the medical team had decided to perform the surgery in three days. They all felt that Phoebe's condition was stable enough and that the surgery was justifiable. In a way, they were relieved that they finally had a perspective and a hope to build on. The anesthesiologist came and asked them a few more questions. They gave him all the information and signed all the necessary forms. As they left the room, Ridge took a deep breath.
"I'm glad we finally know what's going to happen. This waiting has been driving me crazy!"
"Yeah, that's true. It's a good sign if they think Phoebe is stable enough. I just hope everything turns out fine!"
"It will! Trust me" Ridge wrapped Taylor in his arms.