Brooke tells Katie there are just too many memories at Forrester's so she is taking a leave of absence. She is acting emotionally, but she needs to pack and get out before Ridge arrives. She spent too many years here with him. How can she look at him now that he has gone back with Taylor. Stephanie is delighted to hear from Taylor that things are going so well with Ridge being home. She vows to make him the happiest he has ever been. She stops short of all the details but says they are sharing the same bed. But if anything happens the way it did before in the guest house, she wants Ridge to initiate it. Ridge tells Felicia and Thorne that he wants them to hear it from him first. He and Brooke are over and he has gone back to Taylor and the kids. He wants to throw all his energy back into the company and he needs their help. They have to give him the bad news that they have officially quit. Ridge isn't sure how Forrester will survive with them gone. He begs Eric to try and get them to stay. Eric has his own news, more bad news now that Brooke is also leaving. They all agree that the timing can't be worse. Eric wants Ridge to try to talk Brooke into staying since the company is in a crisis. Katie doesn't think this sounds like her sister .she needs to stand up and fight for Ridge, not just hand him over. Brooke tells Katie that she is counting on her because Bill Spenser is trying to take over the company. Maybe she can talk to him. Moments before she is leaving, Ridge comes into Brooke's office and tells her that she can not go; please stay. Eric tells Donna that she can not blame herself for all the chaos at Forrester. She vows they will come out on top again. They will figure this out and she will answer phones, pack boxes, whatever it takes. Stephanie is confident that Ridge is Taylor's for the asking. Brooke knows that now. Taylor is not as positive. She knows Brooke and she will miss Ridge and get lonelier and lonelier and she will be back after him. Thorne calls Stephanie and shares with her that Brooke is taking a leave of absence. Stephanie relays to Taylor that Brooke has removed herself from the whole situation so she has nothing to worry about. Brooke says she knows that it was stupid of her to tell Ridge to go back to Taylor, but she could not abandon her son either. So here they are at the crossroad again and she can't imagine her life without Ridge. He admits that he always thought they could ride out the worst of storms, but there is just too much damage between them. She cries that she wants him to go on with his life. She will always love him and she knows he will always love him, but they just can't do it together. They have to be apart. This is goodbye. He grabs her and they hug and cry.
Provided and Proofread By Gisele Brooke: I need to pack up my things before Ridge gets here. I can't bear to see him. Katie: Oh, this is crazy. Ridge is the love of your life. Brooke: I know. Something had to change. We were hurting each other too much. Katie: So you're taking a leave of absence? Brooke: There's just too many memories here. I have all my personal belongings here, because we've been here so long, I need to get them out of the way. I'm sure that Ridge isn't going to want to see this. Katie: Are you sure about this? I mean, you've spent your whole life together. Maybe you should take a few days  think about it. You're acting emotional. Brooke: Yes, yes, of course, I'm acting emotional. I -- I am also very realistic. I've spent years here with Ridge, working here, building this company, sharing our love. I can't just seem to separate the two of them. How can I be here? How can I see him when I know that he's gone back to Taylor? [SCENE_BREAK] Stephanie: Well, it's a good thing I moved out when I did. Otherwise, some people might accuse me of hovering. How did it go last night? Taylor: Oh, my goodness, Stephanie, it was absolutely wonderful. We just sat and we talked, we remembered old times, we laughed, we held each other. It was nothing at all had changed, yet it was just like we were getting to know each other. Stephanie: I'm so happy. And the children? Taylor: Oh, they were over the moon. Are you kidding? They were so happy to have their dad back home. Stephanie: It's a long time coming. Taylor: Can you believe it? Can you believe it, Stephanie? Our family gets a second chance. You know what, you might not even recognize your son when we're done. We're going to make him the happiest he's ever been. [SCENE_BREAK] Ridge: I wanted a chance to tell both of you myself. I know how quickly news travels around here. Thorne: What's going on? Ridge: My marriage to Brooke is over. I've moved back in with Taylor and the kids. Thorne: Are you serious? Felicia: I know that you guys have been having problems. Ridge: Yeah, we've been at an impasse for months. Things have only gotten worse. Brooke's not going to turn her back on her son. How could she? She also knows how tortured I've been because of him. We just can't seem to get through it, so we have to go our separate ways. Thorne: I'm sorry, Ridge. Man, this has got to be though. Felicia: Yeah, big brother. You know what? Whatever you need, you know I'm here for you. Ridge: Thank you. I think the best thing for me is throw my energies into getting this company back on track, and I know I can count on you both to help. Thorne: Ah, Ridge, we have some news of our own. Felicia and I are leaving Forrester. Ridge: What? Felicia: Yeah, we already told Dad. Ridge: Oh, come on, you guys, not now. Look, I know you've been unhappy with Rick and Donna working here and all, but for you to just leave? No. Not now. Please not now. Come on. Thorne: We've made up our minds ok. This is not our company any more. Felicia: We've been in the background way too long. Ridge: First Mother, then you two. How the hell is Forrester going to survive with all of you gone? [Door opens] Ridge: Dad, you've got to do something here. You can't let them leave? Eric: I've tried, Ridge. I don't want them leaving either. Maybe after they hear what I have to say, they'll reconsider. You aren't the only ones leaving the company. Another member of our team has decided to take a leave of absence. Felicia: Who? Eric: Brooke. She's also leaving the company. [SCENE_BREAK] Ridge: Brooke's going on leave now? Eric: Yes, well, under the circumstances, she feels it would be too difficult to work side by side with you. Ridge: She loves this company. She's a critical part of Forrester. For her to just leave? Eric: It's a bad time for us. We can't afford to lose anyone. Thorne: Sorry, Dad, I know the timing couldn't be worse. Felicia: But we just can't stay. Eric: Ridge, I'm sorry, but I have to ask. I mean, ending your marriage to Brooke, but that's just a big, big decision. Ridge: Bad blood between Rick and me took an impossible toll on our relationship, Dad. Eric: I thought the two were finally making it. [Sighs] Look I understand that it would be a challenge for you to work together, but with these two leaving, we need Brooke here. We need her more than ever. You've got to try to convince her to stay. The company's in crisis. You've got to talk her into staying. [SCENE_BREAK] Brooke: It was like a knife in my heart when Ridge told me what happened with Taylor, how he rushed over into her arms and betrayed me. Katie: It's not too late to change your mind, is it? Brooke: Yes, it is. Katie: I'm sorry, but who are you? Because this, this is not my sister. You don't give up on anything. And you've said that Ridge is your destiny for as long as I can remember. Don't throw in the towel. You love him. Stand up and fight for him. Don't just hand him over to some other woman. Okay, he slept with Taylor, but, my God, he was barely conscious. He was all loopy from that medication she gave him. Brooke: But that's not what it's really about. He took that medication because he can't forgive Rick for what happened to Phoebe that night. And I can't just turn my back on my son, so you see how impossible this is. Katie: That accident was not Rick's fault. Brooke: I know, I know, it wasn't. But because Rick was driving the car, Ridge can't forgive him. He thinks that Rick is the on who killed his daughter. He's tried. He's tried to get past it, but he can't. So it's over for Ridge and me. Look, I need you to hold down the fort while I'm gone. Katie: Of course, I will, but -- Brooke: Since Thorne and Felicia left, Eric is going to need the help, the added support. And Bill Spencer is really trying to take away this company from him, so please do what you can with Bill to help Eric. Katie: Okay, I could talk to Bill. Brooke: Thank you. Katie: Brooke, don't go. Brooke: Take this out to the car, and I'll be there soon. I just don't want to run into Ridge. Katie: I hate that you're doing this. Brooke: I have no choice. Katie: Promise that you'll come back? Brooke: I will, but until then . [SCENE_BREAK] Katie: Okay. Stephanie: So what were the sleeping arrangements? Taylor: You mean, did we share the same bed? Hmm-hmm. Except I really don't want to pressure him, because after what happened the other night at the guesthouse, that really isn't the way that I wanted that to happen. If it happens again, I want it to be Ridge's idea. Stephanie: I guess. Taylor: Stephanie, I think it's a lot smarter just to wait and let Ridge be the one to initiate it. Stephanie: Just don't be too slow about it. You know, if it were Brooke, she'd have a teddy on and she'd be doing pirouettes. [SCENE_BREAK] Brooke: Ok, Katie, I'm ready. Ridge: You can't leave, Logan. Please don't go. [SCENE_BREAK] Donna: I brought you a decaf cappuccino from your favorite café. Eric: Good, thank you. That's very sweet of you. Donna: I am concerned about you, Eric. I mean, you're so stressed. You tossed and turned all night. Eric: I know. I'm sorry. It's a tough time. Thorne and Felicia leaving, my own kids abandoning me in mid-stream, and Brooke taking a leave of absence, and Bill Spencer circling the company here, waiting to take us down. Donna: You know, I feel like it's all my fault. Eric: Well, it's not, Donna. It's not your fault Donna: Thorne and Felicia are leaving because of me. Maybe our love for each other has cost you too much. Eric: I'm not going to let you do that. You cannot blame yourself here. You just can't. Come here. You're my wife, and I love you, and I'm committed to you, and nothing is going to change that, ok? Donna: Okay. You know what? We're going to get through this together. No one, not Bill Spencer, no one, is going to take this company from you. I will go to close myself if I have to. I'll answer the phones. I'll even ship boxes -- whatever it takes to get your company back on top. We're going to figure this out. Eric: Okay. With you by my side, I can go through anything. [SCENE_BREAK] Taylor: Believe me, Stephanie, with all my heart I want to dive right back into this relationship, but I'm trying to be careful. Stephanie: What are you concerned about? Taylor: Brooke, for one thing. Stephanie: Well, I don't think she's going to be a problem for you. I told her that he's moved back here with you. Taylor: Yeah, but Steph, you know how this goes. She'll get lonelier and lonelier as time goes on, and then it won't be very long before she comes back saying she wants Ridge back. Stephanie: Well, he's not hers to have, is he? He's yours. She told him to move on with his life  he has. She wanted that. [SCENE_BREAK] Ridge: You can't leave Forrester. Brooke: I have to. Ridge: No, Logan. You mean too much to this company. We need you here. Everything that you and I have built here together? Please don't throw all that away. Brooke: Stephanie said that you spent the night with Taylor last night. Ridge: I moved back with Thomas and Steffy and Taylor. Isn't that what you said you wanted? Brooke: No, Ridge, no. This is not what I wanted. But you had to stop hurting somehow. And it was really stupid of me to tell you to go back to Taylor, but I can't just abandon my son. Ridge: I can't expect you to do that either. Brooke: Right. So here we are at the crossroads. You're going one way, and I'm going the other. I just can't begin to think of my life without you. I can't even think about it. [SCENE_BREAK] Taylor: Steffy, come on. You've got to work with me here. Listen, you just said it a minute ago that it would be only a matter of time before Brooke starts running around in her teddies again. Stephanie: But the circumstances are different now. She knows the marriage is over. Taylor: No, they're not that different. They'll still be working together every day, and they have a very strong chemistry. You know about that. Stephanie: She told me she'd keep her distance from him at work. Taylor: Stephanie, I'm not concerned just about myself. I'm concerned about the kids. You know, for the first time I feel like the family is finally starting to heal from Phoebe's death. Stephanie: Well, you are. You're going to heal -- all of you together as a family. Look, Ridge would not have come back if he wasn't ready. He would not have come back here if this wasn't what he wanted. [Phone rings] Stephanie: My cell. Hello? Thorne, yeah. Oh, really? Thanks so much for calling me, honey. I appreciate it. I'll talk to you later. Taylor: What was that about? Stephanie: Brooke's taking a leave of absence from Forrester Creations. Taylor: You've got to be kidding? I'm shocked. Stephanie: She said she'd keep her distance from him, now she's making good on her word. Honey, I think you should just cast aside any doubts that you have. Accept it, he's home where he belongs with you. She's taken herself out of the picture. I don't think she's going to interfere with your happiness. [SCENE_BREAK] Ridge: How did we get here? I thought we were going to grow old together. Brooke: So did I? But here we are. It would be so much easier to walk away if we didn't love each other, but that's just not the case. This whole thing happened between us the night Phoebe died. Ridge: The night before our wedding  the rehearsal dinner. Everything was right for us. The stars were aligned. Brooke: It would have been so perfect. Ridge: There's been too much damage. Brooke: My son killing your daughter. At least, that's how you see it. It's definitely something that we won't be able to overcome. Ridge: I always felt like we could ride out the fiercest of storms. Brooke: Well, not this one. Because you're never going to be able to forgive Rick, and Rick is always going to be a part of me, so in some way, you're going to hate me. Ridge, I don't want to bring you down any more than I already have. I want you to go. Go, go live your life. Have a great life. I will always love you. You know that. And you will always love me, but we just can't be together. We can't work together. We have to be apart. This is  this is goodbye. Goodbye. [Brooke sobs as Ridge holds her tightly, then breaks away from him and runs out the door while he collapses in a chair, shaking his head]