Brooke again?!

The weeks went by. Nick had actually moved to New York a few days ago. Taylor regretted to some extent that it had to come to this end. However, she could understand that Nick wanted a fresh start after everything that had happened. After his departure she paid a visit to Jackie, her former mother-in-law. Jackie told her she would stay in Los Angeles to run their company. Taylor expressed her regret to Jackie that the whole story between Nick and her had ended so tragically. Jackie replied.

"Sometimes fate doesn't mean what you want it to mean!" She had suffered a lot with her son, but she could also understand Taylor's point of view and that she made a decision in her son's best interest. Jackie asked Taylor how she was handling the situation. Taylor assured her at the moment, things couldn't be better.

In fact, Taylor was very content with her life. Jack was all her joy and she enjoyed every day with him, despite all the effort and fatigue. Her relationship with Thomas and the girls couldn't be better either and thanks to Jack, Taylor also felt more connected to Ridge and the rest of the Forrester family again. More than ever, she felt like part of the family.

Christmas was about to come, With fervor Taylor threw herself into the preparations. As Thomas, Steffy and Phoebe helped her decorate the entire house, Thomas remarked with a grin.

"Don't you think all this is a little over the top?"

"Not at all! After all, it's Jack's first Christmas and I want it to be special!"

"Why? It's not like he will remember it later!?" But his mother persisted in her point. Jack's first Christmas should be memorable. Ridge and Taylor spent Christmas Eve alone with all their kids. It was a wonderful evening. Thomas and the twins were very happy to celebrate Christmas with both of their parents. They had thought of something very special. They had ordered sweaters with special writings for everyone. Thomas wore a dark blue one with 'I am the firstborn!' Phoebe and Steffy wore identical red sweaters, each with 'I am a twin sister!' written on it. For Jack, they had ordered a baby blue onesie with the words 'I am the baby boy'!

"Here! These are for you!" Thomas handed his father a black 'Daddy' sweater and his mother a white 'Mummy' sweater. They put them on and the whole family posed in their outfits for the family portrait. On Christmas Day they celebrated at the Forrester mansion with the entire family. Taylor was a little irritated when Brooke appeared as well. But she was even more stunned when she observed how casually Ridge and Brooke talked and laughed with each other. Apparently they had settled their argument, which was not surprising at all. Ridge had never been angry with Brooke for long. The entire time Taylor felt Brooke's begrudging glances. In fact, Brooke found it very hard to look at Taylor's maternal happiness.

On New Year's Eve, Taylor turned down all the invitations; she wanted to end the last night of the year in peace. When the fireworks went off just before midnight, Jack woke up startled and she wandered around the living room with him to calm him down. As the new year began, she stood with Jack by the window, gazing up at the lit night sky and wondering what the new year would hold for them.

Over time, Ridge and Taylor had found a good routine regarding Jack. Often Ridge had his son with him in the office. He thought Jack should breathe the Forrester Creation air from a young age, just like his other children. Taylor, on the other hand, hoped Jack might take after her and become interested in medicine. She was on her way to Ridge's office to pick Jack up. When she stepped into the room, she froze. She found not only her son and his father, but Brooke as well. She held Jack in her arms and played with him, while Ridge sat at his drawing desk, watching them in amusement. Taylor didn't quite know what to make of this scene. Inside her, it was bristling. When Ridge noticed her, he suddenly shrugged together.

"Oh you're here already!" He looked at his watch. "I didn't realize it was so late." He stepped up to Jack and handed him over to Taylor..

"Look, there's your Mommy!" Brooke, clearly sensing the tension in the room, preferred to retreat.

"Well, I'd better get back to work. See you Ridge, bye bye Jack." She gave him a quick goodbye tickle and scurried out of the room. Taylor stared questioningly at Ridge. She expected an explanation for all this. Ridge avoided her gaze.

"I told you Brooke is working here again. Dad thinks it's the best thing to help Brooke get out of her slump."

"Well, you two seem to be getting along pretty well again?!...I mean..is there anything I should know? Are you guys back together or maybe even engaged already?"

"What? No, I told you it's over with Brooke and that's not going to change anytime soon." Taylor couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry Ridge, but this isn't the first time I've heard that. Actually, I don't care how deep your bond with Brooke is. But I do care when she obviously spends a lot of time with my son. You could at least told me that. I think I have a right to know who is associating with my son."

"I didn't want to tell you because I know exactly how you feel about Brooke and this whole thing is not what you think it is."

"Then how is it Ridge?" He sighed deeply.

"Look, Brooke was in a really bad place when she found out she wasn't pregnant, and it got worse when she heard you were expecting. She's been really miserable lately and since she's been back at work and she's been spending time with Jack, she's doing much better. I just want to help her, that's the only reason. I still feel responsible for her. That's really all there is to it." He tried to give Taylor a reassuring hug, but she brushed him off.

"I might have understood it, if you'd said something to me right from the beginning. I thought we could trust each other again, but I guess I was wrong."

Since that day, Taylor and Ridge's relationship was strained. She resented him very much for not being honest with her. She didn't like this thing with Brooke at all, but she knew she couldn't dictate Ridge who he could spend his time with. However, she decided to keep a watchful eye on the situation. Despite Taylor's disapproval, Ridge continued to see Brooke and let her see Jack on a regular basis. They would go to the park together or they would play with Jack in his office.

Taylor was on her way home. She had had a doctor's appointment that day and she had taken the opportunity to do a little bit of shopping afterwards. When she got home, she was shocked. Because there she didn't meet Ridge as expected, but instead Brooke was sitting in her living room playing with Jack. Taylor forced all her strength to stay calm.

"Brooke? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by. Ridge told me he was babysitting Jack today and since he's extremely busy with the new collection right now, I suggested he should go back to the office. I'd stay with Jack. And you? I see you made good use of your free time for a little shopping spree!" She eyed Taylor's shopping bags.

"I had a few things to do."

"Well, you can afford it as long as you can find a babysitter for your child?"

"Well, Ridge is far more than just a babysitter!"

"Indeed, he's been harnessed by you quite a lot lately, despite his busy schedule."

"Well Ridge hasn't complained about it yet and after all Jack is his son. It's only natural that Ridge and he spend a lot of time together. Besides, I don't see how that's any of your business." Taylor gave Brooke a harsh look and leaned down to take Jack in her arms, but Brooke only hugged him tighter. Dismissive she suggested.

"I think it would be better if you make yourself some tea first and calm down a bit. You seem a little irritable and rushed. That's not good for a little baby." Taylor had to pull herself together very hard not to slap Brooke. Without further hesitation, she took Jack from her arms.

"I think I know very well how to handle my son. It was quite nice of you to watch him, but now I'm back." Brooke rose unruly.

"I get it, I'm leaving. But if you need someone to take care of the little guy again. I'm happy to do it anytime, Jack and I make a good team."

"I don't think that will be necessary!" Offended Brooke rushed out the door. Jack sensed the tension in the room and began to whine. Taylor rocked him gently.

"It's okay, sweety! She's gone now! We can do perfectly fine without a Brooke Logan, am I right?"

The next day, Ridge appeared at Taylor's with a very serious face.

"We need to talk. I know you don't like Brooke and that's understandable to a certain extent, but that doesn't give you the right to kick her out the door only because she spent a few hours taking care of Jack!"

"I kicked her out? That's what she told you? Now listen to me Ridge! I didn't kick Brooke out! After I got back, surely there was no reason for her to stay any longer or should I have invited her for tea? If someone was way out of line it was Brooke! She has no right to deny me my own child and it's none of her business when I go shopping! And how dare you leave Jack alone with Brooke here in my house without telling me a single word! You were supposed to watch him, not Brooke!"

"Taylor, don't be so dramatic! What's the big deal if Brooke spends time with Jack? I explained the reason to you. I want her to feel better."

"And you don't give a damn how I feel about it or what? I don't want that woman getting too close to my son let alone in my house!...Or is there more to it? Does Brooke already see herself as Jack's future stepmother?"

"Not this again. That's not what this is all about. I don't want anything from Brooke and she doesn't want anything from me! She just likes Jack and she wants to be there for him. She asked me the other day if she could be his godmother?!".

"Over my dead body! Before that woman becomes my son's godmother, I would rather migrate to the North Pole with him!" Ridge was about to lose his patience.

"Why can't you just forget about your animosities toward Brooke! It can't be that hard to get along with her! Besides, have you ever thought about Jack? Sure it's good for him to have as many contacts as possible."

"Jack has enough people who love him, he doesn't need Brooke. I don't have a good feeling about her! Sorry, but I'll never trust Brooke and..."

In the middle of the argument, Phoebe showed up with Jack in his stroller. Abruptly, Taylor and Ridge fell silent. Phoebe, who had always been the most sensitive of the three siblings, immediately sensed that something was wrong.

"Hey Mom, we're back..." she whispered "...Jack finally fell asleep ten minutes ago." Taylor stepped up to the two and carefully lifted her son out of the stroller. He was sleeping so soundly he didn't even notice his mother and sister working together to remove his coverall.

"Would you please bring him into the nursery?" Taylor whispered to her daughter. She took one last significant look at her mother and over at her father, then headed upstairs with her sleeping brother. When Phoebe had disappeared with Jack, Ridge continued a little more calmly than before.

"I don't wanna fight with you. I'm just asking you to be a little more comprehensible towards Brooke. At least give her a chance."

"All right! I'm fine with you seeing Brooke when Jack is there with you, but I don't want her alone with Jack, especially not here in my house. "That's too much!" Ridge sighed, but he didn't want to start the discussion all over again.

"Okay fine!" A little later, Phoebe came back into the living room.

"Dad left already?"

"Yeah, he was just dropping something off." replied Taylor hesitantly. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No thanks. I've got to go. I have another singing rehearsal." She fixed her mother. "You guys had a fight! Something serious?" Taylor rebuffed.

"No, nothing serious! Just a little disagreement, don't worry about it." But her mother's words didn't reassure Phoebe at all.

Later at home she told her sister about the incident. Steffy listened anxiously.

"Do you have any idea what the argument was about?"

"Not in detail, I just picked up the word 'Brooke', so I assume she has something to do with it."

"Of course!" retorted Steffy, annoyed. "Whenever there's a crisis between Mom and Dad, it has something to do with Brooke! Why can't that woman just get out of our lives!"

"Don't be so hasty, Steffy! We don't even know for sure if the argument was really about Brooke."

"I'll take any bet on that, every time that woman forces her way into Dad's life, everything goes wrong. Mom and Dad were on such good terms."

"In fact, they were very close again..."

"...And now, ever since Dad started seeing Brooke again, the atmosphere between them has cooled down. I think we need to do something. We can't let Brooke ruin everything again."

"Now slow down! Let's not rush things. We'll end up making things much worse. But we should definitely keep an eye on it."