A glimpse at Brooke's inside!

Taylor and Ridge walked to the car.

"Where's all your luggage anyway?" asked Taylor, he had only one bag slung over his shoulder.

"Well, where do you think? On the plane to Paris! It was too late to get my bags back. But I got it all sorted out, in Paris they'll send them on the next plane back to LA and then I can pick them up here at the airport." Taylor chuckled.

"Then I'm curious to know when we'll see your stuff again, or where else it might end up!"

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'll be lucky if my bags don't end up stranded in Timbuktu." Taylor wrapped her arm around him.

"And even if they do, the main thing is that you're here!"

"That's right!" He pressed a kiss to her cheek. Taylor strapped Jack into his car seat, which didn't cause any trouble this time. Before they got into the car, Ridge embraced Taylor in his arms once more. The two watched a plane fly over their heads. He looked deep into her eyes.

"I'm so glad I'm here with you and not up there!"

"I'm also relieved that you're actually here with us. I still can't believe it!" They fell into each other's arms and kissed passionately. Jack grew impatient and screamed loud enough for them to hear him through the door. Ridge grumbled.

"He really is a little dictator sometimes!"

"They made their way home. Jack, completely exhausted by all the excitement, fell asleep before they had left the airport area. In front of the house they spotted Thomas' car. Obviously he and the girls were there.

"They're probably here to cheer Jack and me up. Kind of cute, isn't it?"

"Yes, indeed! But that's what I advised them to do. After all, I told them to take good care of you!"

"Well, now you can do it yourself!"

Taylor was already on her way towards the house, while Ridge tampered with Jack's car seat. Thomas and the twins were gathered in the living room. They knew how hard it was for their mother to let their father go so they wanted to stand by her on this rough day. As soon as Taylor stepped inside the front door, they all fell into her arms.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"How are you holding up?" All three of them marveled that their mother wore an open smile on her lips and didn't look the least bit sad.

"I'm wonderful, I've never been better!" Her kids looked at her in confusion.

"Mom, are you sure you're okay?" echoed Steffy. "And where is Jack? Is he still asleep in the car?"

"Jack will be here any minute and he's bringing someone else with him!" At that moment, the door opened again and all three of their jaws dropped.

"Dad?! What are you doing here?"

"We thought you were on a plane to Paris?!"

"Well, there was a bit of a change of plans!" While Jack dozed peacefully in his car seat, Taylor and Ridge told their children how it happened that Ridge had not flown to Paris. All three were extremely impressed.

By late evening, Thomas and the girls were long gone and Jack was sleeping soundly in his crib. Ridge and Taylor sank passionately into each other's arms. Their lips seemed unwilling to part, their hands unable to help but touch and caress the other. Their path led them directly to their bedroom. Taylor pressed herself to him.

"I'm so overjoyed! This morning I imagined how terrible it would be, to spend night after night alone in our big bed. It would have been a living hell!" Ridge pulled her even closer.

"Indeed! I had the same horrible thought, the idea of waking up every day in a cold empty hotel room without you by my side. What a horror!" They literally fell over each other, their desire clearly written in their eyes. They almost tore their clothes from their bodies. Rarely had they made love as passionately and devotedly as they did that night. Taylor was completely high when she finally sank into her pillows, completely exhausted. Her whole body was trembling, she felt like she visioned millions of stars in front of her eyes. She struggled to catch her breath. "Wow, now I know why the French call it 'la petit mort'!" Ridge grinned and showered her with loud little kisses.

Later, they lay in an intimate hug. Taylor glanced at Ridge very seriously.

"Are you really sure you made the right decision? Believe me, there's nothing more important to me than you staying here with us! But I also don't want you to make a decision that you might regret!" He let his finger circle over her face and grabbed her by the chin.

"Trust me, the only thing I really regret is that I even planned to fly in the first place. I don't remember the last time I've been so sure I made the right decision!" He told Taylor about his encounter with the older lady at the gate. For Ridge, this woman was a guardian angel who had kept him from making a big mistake. Just before Taylor fell asleep, she sent a prayer towards the unknown woman. She was immensely grateful to her for appearing at the right moment and guiding Ridge home.

The next day, Ridge had an important task ahead of him. He had to inform the rest of the family that he would stay with Taylor and Jack. In addition, the problems at Forrester International had not yet been resolved. So Ridge contacted his father and asked him to gather the whole family so he could talk to them. Eric, of course, understood that Ridge was in Paris and wanted to talk to them via video call. Taylor noticed Ridges nervous look as he ended the call.

"Are you worried how he's going to react?"

"Yeah, kind of. I know he won't be thrilled and he's probably very disappointed in me!"

"I don't think so! Eric will understand why you acted the way you did. After all, he has to realize that you have the right to make your own decisions and that you have to live with your choices."

"Still, none of this is going to be easy; after all, we all have to work together again to try to find a solution for Forrester International." Taylor nodded in understanding.

"Do you want me to join you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The meeting with the others, do you want me to come with you? I could back you up, after all, it's our joint decision. I want you to stay here, too. Then I can't let you go into the lion's den all by yourself!" Ridge was touched by her affection.

"Do you realize I fall a little more in love with you every single day!"

So their way to Forrester Creation together. Before Ridge and Taylor entered the conference room, they brought Jack to Pam. She was very happy about this distraction, she was always happy when she could leave her work for a moment. Playing with Jack was much more fun for her.

In the conference room, everyone's eyes widened when Ridge and Taylor entered the office together. Before they could be overwhelmed with questions, Ridge explained succinctly that he had decided not to go to Paris. but to stay with his family. Taylor made it unmistakably clear that she appreciated Ridge's decision and was behind him one hundred percent. Stephanie couldn't get the smile off her face. She was incredibly proud of her son for making the right decision. Felicia also rejoiced with the two of them. Thorne and Eric reacted hesitantly. They could completely understand his reasoning, but it was still important to get a grip on the situation. Ridge clarified.

"I am ready for any solution and I will do everything in my power to help, but here in LA!" Felicia offered once more to go to Paris in Ridge's place. Eric hesitated, still not completely satisfied with this solution. Thorne jumped to his sister's side.

"I could accompany and support Felicia at the beginning. I said I can't leave Aly alone for three months or more, but for two or three weeks it would be no problem." Stephanie was thrilled with the suggestion, immediately agreeing to house Aly during that time and Taylor also offered that Aly could visit her and Jack any time in the afternoon. Ridge assured his siblings he would support them as best he could. In the end, everyone in the family, including Eric, agreed to the new plan. Eric had to admit, he was very impressed by how his children stuck together. Ridge immediately retreated to his office with Thorne and Felicia. He wanted to go over his paperwork with them to prepare them as best as possible for their task.

A few days later, the family gathered at the airport to say goodbye to Thorne and Felicia. Aly was a little sad, but she swallowed her tears bravely. Her father promised not to stay away for more than three weeks and to bring her a very nice surprise. Jack's reaction was a little uneasy at first, but he squealed in delight when he realized that this time it wasn't his father who intended to fly away. Emotionally, Ridge and Taylor embraced Felicia once again, as well as Thorne. They effusively thanked them both for making it possible for Ridge to stay at home.

Thorne and Felicia quickly got an overview of the situation in Paris and realized that there was really an acute need for action. They decided to fire the current manager of Forrester International and find a new one who shared their vision. Ridge supported his siblings with their plans. Together, they tried to bring stability to the workforce to prevent more employees from leaving the company. At the same time, they made big efforts to reassure their customers. Ridge had his hands full these days. In addition to the negotiations he was conducting with his siblings and his normal daily schedule, Felicia and Thorne's work also had to be taken care of. It did not fail that he had to work numerous overtime hours and often came home very late. Taylor showed great compassion and supported him as much as she could. She knew this was the price they paid for Ridge staying in LA. Also her days were filled with many activities as well. Jack was becoming more and more enterprising and active. Stephanie often dropped in with Aly, which distracted her from her father's absence. Each time, Jack and Aly romped around the house, making quite a mess.

One afternoon, things hit the fan for Taylor. Stephanie brought Aly over because she had an urgent doctor's appointment. In addition, Donna had asked if Taylor could watch Hope for a change, since she had some urgent errands to run and Hope couldn't go to any of her friends' houses. Taylor had agreed without hesitation; there was no bad blood between them and Donna and Katie. Both Taylor and Ridge saw that neither Donna nor Katie were responsible for their sister's behavior. The two stood by Brooke, but at the same time they condemned what Brooke had done to the family.

So Taylor was busy that afternoon with three young children. She baked cookies with them. When Ridge came home very late that night, he found Taylor, completely worn out, asleep on the couch. She was sleeping so soundly she didn't even notice him lifting her up and taking her upstairs to the bedroom.

One night, Ridge and Taylor were invited to Stephanie's house for dinner. Stephanie had also asked Eric and Bridget to the dinner, she wanted to give Aly a little distraction. The girl had wanted Hope to be allowed to come as well. So the two girls jumped around the house with Jack.

Bridget was running a little late and was visibly stressed when she joined the others. Ridge gave her a gentle push. "Hey sis, are you okay? You look pretty beat!"

"I am! I was at...not that important!" Hastily, she reached for the champagne Stephanie handed her. Taylor and Ridge exchanged meaningful glances.

"You were with your mom, it's that what you were going to say?!" Bridget nodded.

"But I don't want to bother you guys with it now!" But Taylor recognized Bridget obviously needed a talk.

"That's okay! How is she doing in the meantime?"

"Well, it seems her therapy is going to drag on for quite some time. But her therapists have already made some major breakthroughs, at least they've been able to explain to Donna, Katie and me what's actually going on inside Mom. In their opinion, all of Mom's behavior stems from her childhood. Apparently, it's always been her way to escape into a fantasy world when she couldn't deal with reality."

"But a lot of kids show that phenomenon! It's not a bad thing"

"True, it's just a little different with Mom, with her it takes on pathological traits. While other people may also indulge in their fantasies, they can usually distinguish between fantasy and reality. With Mom, these boundaries become blurred and her own fantasies become reality for her. And once she finds herself in her own illusory world, she has her own understanding of morality and law, although she basically knows better. She just follows her goals no matter what and she commits her misdeeds, fully aware that they are wrong. But she convinces herself she is doing the right thing, that her behavior is justified. In her understanding, the victims of her actions become the perpetrators who are attacking her world. That's how it's been with Jack, and with all the men she had wanted even though they were taken.

Mom acknowledged for her it had been a big failure that she didn't get pregnant. She couldn't deal with her misfortune. In her despair, she then came up with the idea that Jack was legitimate her child, because he was conceived with Ridge's sperm. She indulged herself completely in the imagination Jack belonged to her and should grow up with her. You, Taylor, were a threat to her idea because you are Jack's actual mother and Mom knew full well you would never give Jack away willingly, so she had to get rid of you. To justify all her attacks and meanness, she convinced herself you were dangerous for Jack, that you weren't able to take care of him properly. She convinced herself all along that she was doing the right thing. The abduction was a rescue mission in her eyes." Ridge and Taylor laughed in disbelief. "But now she backs away from her conviction. Due to the open confrontation by us, she has realized she made a tremendous mistake and that now she has to face the consequences. We made her understand how many people she has harmed. Recently, she emphasizes very often that she is now ready to change her life, not least for Hope's sake."

"I truly hope that she'll get her life back on track, but I remain skeptical. Brooke has said many times that she will change."

"That's true, but I'm optimistic. Mom had a drastic experience and sees a lot of things from a different perspective now."

"What happened?"

"She had a bitter confrontation with Hope. Hope is allowed to visit her under strict supervision. Donna told me, at one of the last meetings, Hope was pretty stern with her mother. She blamed her a lot for leaving her alone and why she isn't allowed to live with her. To deal with Hope's anger has really turned things around for her and has finally opened her eyes. She knows she only has only one more chance or she will lose Hope forever."

Ridge and Taylor became very thoughtful about what Bridget confided in them. They both knew they would probably never be able to forgive Brooke for what she had done to them. But it would be a relief when Brooke finally gets a grip on her problems.

Late at night in bed, both of their minds were elsewhere. Taylor nudged Ridge.

"You're thinking about Brooke, right?" Ridge avoided her gaze.

"No…yes, kind of. Sorry Doc!"

"It's okay, honestly I think about her too."

"I keep thinking about what Bridget told us. About why Brooke overreacted and wanted Jack to be her son. In a way, I feel for her, even though it's hard for me to show sincere sympathy for her. I'm still way too angry with her for everything she put Jack and us through!"

"Yes, I agree with you! I still have a tremendous anger towards her when I think back to the last few months. At the same time, her doom touches me. I know the therapy in the clinic is no walk in the park and she still has some tough months ahead of her. I just hope she really gets her problems under control in the long run and not just superficially."

"Yes, that would be the best for her and for all of us. Still, I wonder how we should deal with her in the future?! Right now she's in the clinic and we still have the restraining order on her, but eventually Dad will insist that we deal with each other like family again!" Taylor shook her head decisively.

"Family or not, I don't want her anywhere near Jack ever again. If she takes one step too close to him, I'll forget myself!" Ridge pulled her close and hugged her tightly.

"You don't have to worry about that! Brooke won't hurt Jack or you ever again! I'll make sure of that, I promise!" Taylor smiled gratefully and breathed a gentle kiss on his lips. Ridge thought about his son.

"Do you think Jack will ever remember the time of the kidnapping?"

"No, I doubt it, he's still so little and most people forget very quickly what happened in their early years. Jack didn't even realize he'd been kidnapped. The only thing he realized was that he wasn't with his mommy and daddy. Of course, it's possible that this feeling of abandonment that he experienced during that time solidifies somewhere in his subconscious and that he feels insecure more easily than other children. But for him to consciously remember the abduction at some point, I think that's very unlikely. I think in the long run Jack will cope best of all of us with this ordeal. I will never be able to forget those two weeks."

"Neither will I! I still have a hard time when I have to leave Jack!"

"Me too!"

"I still wonder if there wasn't some point back then where I could have stopped all this from happening. That I didn't see through Brooke's scheme for so long..."

"Well, she's always been very good at playing a role and you and Eric, you've never been objective about Brooke. You've always seen her through very particular eyes. But I think even if you had noticed something and had intervened sooner or even if you had never brought Brooke and Jack together...after everything Bridget told us tonight, I'm firmly convinced she still would have driven into this delusion and gone through with her plan."

"Yeah, maybe you're right! Still, I'll never quite forgive myself for trusting her for so long and attacking you instead." Taylor smoothed his face affectionately.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Ridge. The important thing is, at the crucial moment, you did the right thing!" Suddenly, something occurred to Ridge.

"What did she actually say to you when you slapped her?" Taylor didn't want to talk about it.

"It doesn't matter anymore!"

"It matters to me! Taylor, please tell me, what did she say?" Taylor struggled with herself, finding it hard to talk about.

"She...she said I'm a terrible mother and Thomas and the girls were damn lucky because they've grown up without me for most of the time and that it would be the best for Jack to grow up without me either!" Ridge stared at her in complete bewilderment.

"Come here!" Comforting, he took her in his arms and gently stroked her hair. "I hope you know that's complete nonsense. You shouldn't give it another thought. You're an incredible mother and all our children are very lucky to have you!"

"I don't know, I think there are moments when I totally failed as a mother!"

"Every parent feels that way! I think there exists not one parent in the whole wide world who can truly claim to do everything perfectly all the time! But look at Jack and the other three, they all love and adore you! And no matter what Brooke claims, for the kids and me, it was one of the best days of our lives when you came back to us!" Taylor had tears in her eyes.

"I love you Ridge! I love you so much!"

"I love you too!" They shared a tender, sweet kiss.