The Devil Wears Armani

[GIOVANNA]

The Doctor's Office
The Same Time

Eric: Excuse me?

Doctor: Didn't you have a vasectomy a few years ago?

Eric: I did.

Doctor: Well, I ran some tests, and it didn't go through.

Starbucks
The Same Time

Ally leaned back and rubbed her neck. Either Stephanie was the stupidest woman alive or her hatred of Brooke clouded her judgment. She had gone over the figures three times, and these numbers didn't lie.

Brooke's lingerie line earned at least seventy percent of the company's revenues.

Plus the cost of producing it was low, lower than the cost of designing a collection. Ally bit her lower lip and thought about the rumors of Stephanie and that witch pushing Brooke out. If they pushed her out and scrapped the bedroom line, the company was sure to take a hit. She shook her head at Taylor and Stephanie's stupidity, then allowed herself a small smile. Taylor hated the bedroom line and if the company kept it, it would be sure to piss her off.

Too bad.

I am going to put together an argument for keeping the line, she thought. After all, this is MY legacy as well. Why should Taylor, Ridge, and their brats be the only ones who matter? They aren't even Forresters. She gritted her teeth when she thought of her father, overlooked and ignored.

Don't worry, Daddy. You matter. I'm going to fight for you and your place in the sun. It's what my mother would have done.

[GIOVANNA]

Note: The Part of Nate Preston is being played by Anthony Anderson.

The DA's Office
The Same Time

Nate Preston looked over his caseload, then looked at the memo his ADA Jeffrey Cheng had given him. He was a stocky, light-skinned black man in his late thirties who specialized in sexual assault cases, and he had been doing it for a decade. He shook his head at the list of names.

Ridge Forrester
Stephanie Forrester
Steffy Forrester
Thorne Forrester
Eric Forrester
Taylor Forrester

He had heard of the Forresters and when Detective Baker had retired, he had warned him about them. This family had at least ten crimes to their name and none of them had seen the inside of a jail cell. Well, Ridge had, once, but the bozo had gotten off. Nate shook his head at the way this so-called man had dealt with a situation.

He let his mama talk him into leaving the country while his own brother sat in jail. Nate allowed himself a small chuckle. The first family of fashion my ass, he thought. These fools had rap sheets that would make some of the residents of the local prison blush, but Baker had informed him that they were made of Teflon and prosecuting them was impossible. They had a circle the wagon mentality and an ability to lie that would put Pinnocio to shame.

Yeah, well, we'll see, he thought. Nate was no dummy, but he also believed in creating one's own luck. His first semester in college, he had found himself on academic probation and took the hardest language known to man, Chinese. Not only had he pulled his grades up, but he did fairly well in the language.

If there's a will, there's a way.

Nate narrowed his eyes as he thought of Brooke Forrester, the blond woman who had run the company for a decade and had married all the men in that scummy family, yet was viewed by many as their whipping girl. In his opinion, she was the weak link.

[GIOVANNA]

Taylor's Mansion
The Same Time

Taylor sat at her kitchen table, her head in her hands.

Boy, my week keeps going from bad to worse, she thought.

At first things were going well, what with the family getting the company back from that sleaze, Bill. Since she and Stephanie had fifty percent of the company, it looked like the company was going to return to it's glory days. But of course Brooke was being demanding. She wanted more say in the company. Taylor shook her head in frustration. First that woman took Ridge, now she refused to slither away quietly. Then she bawled Steffy out, driving her to Vegas. Taylor exhaled, as Brooke never raised her voice to any of Ridge's children. They could walk all over her and she wouldn't do a damn thing to upset Ridge. And of course that boy at the DA's office had been no help. Taylor had returned home and she had tossed and turned, worrying about her daughter.

When Steffy called the next morning, she felt a surge of relief. Steffy had apologized and informed her that she had a solution to their Logan problem.

Flashback, Nine A.M.

Steffy breezed into her mother's Bel Air mansion and hugged her. She was looking full of life and Taylor was so relieved that she was home that she didn't have the heart to scold her.

The two women went into the kitchen and Taylor poured them coffee. She sat opposite Steffy.

Taylor: Well, Steffy?

Steffy smiled, a smile of pure satisfaction.

Steffy: I did it, Mom.

Taylor: What?

Steffy: I found someone who can give me dirt on Hope. In a few hours, I will have so much dirt that Hope will have no other choice but to leave the state. And her trampy mother will follow suit.

Taylor: Who?

Steffy: Deacon Sharpe, of course. Little Hope's daddy.

Taylor shuddered as she thought about the drama Deacon brought to the family when he married Bridget.

Taylor: I-you found Deacon?

Steffy: Yep. He is the answer to our Logan problem.

Taylor: I-Steffy, Deacon is a con man. He used Bridget and cheated on her with her own mother.

Steffy: Oh, he wouldn't have cheated on her on his own. Brooke seduced him. Besides, I need to fight fire with fire.

Taylor: Steffy, you can't trust someone like Deacon. What did you do?

Steffy: I made a deal.

Taylor: Baby, you can't make deals with someone like that. How-

Steffy: I married him, Mommy. And I took him to heaven and back last night. He'll do anything I ask.

[GIOVANNA]

Spencer Publications
One-Thirty P.M.

Bill Spencer looked out the window of his spacious office as he sipped his coffee. He had been looking over his financial reports and things were going well. Then he had spent two hours with his lawyer about getting FC back. He exhaled, as if he wondered if it were really worth it.

He was a tall, dark-haired man with piercing brown eyes and a beard, which gave him a devilish appearance. He also had an IQ of a hundred and fifty and an MBA.

Do I really want the damn company back, he thought. It was just a clothing company, and it wasn't doing very well, not since the whiners had ousted him. He shook his head.

If the jerks don't do anything soon, that place is going to go belly up. Eric was senile and had no backbone, Thorne was a wussy, and Ridge was the biggest drama king he had ever come across. The only one of them worth a damn was his sister-in-law, Brooke, as she had vision and was relentless when she wanted something. He thought about a woman of at least thirty and two pregnancies under her belt getting up and modeling lingerie and smirked.

Too bad I wasn't in this business when she was running that place, I would have loved giving her a run for the money.

His phone rang, interrupting his train of thought.

Bill: Hello, Bill Spencer.

Voice: Hello, Bill? It's Brooke.

Bill: Yes, Brooke. Why are you calling?

Brooke: I'll come straight to the point.

Bill: You do that. That is, unless you're going to gloat about your husband getting the company back.

Brooke: Actually, no. There is this young man from the DA's office.

Bill: Ok.

Brooke: Apparently Steffy bragged to him about taking my sister's ring.

Bill: Ok.

Brooke: She didn't mention you by name, but this young man is interested in pressing theft charges. He asked me for your name.

She cleared her throat.

Brooke: I haven't given it to him. Now I know you and I have had our differences, but you are married to my sister and I really don't feel comfortable airing her dirty laundry to a stranger.

[GIOVANNA]

Bill's Office
The Same Time

Bill: Interesting. What's the man's name?

Brooke: Jeffrey Cheng.

Bill: Ok, is he there?

Brooke: As far as I know. He's in the study, I left to call to give you the heads up.

Bill: Put him on. Oh, Brooke?

Brooke: Yes?

Bill: I appreciate you not dragging my name into this.

There was a pause.

Voice: Hello?

Bill: Hello, Bill Spencer here.

Voice: Hello, Mr. Spencer. My name is Jeffrey Cheng. I understand you had a theft that you didn't report.

Bill: I guess you could say that.

Jeffrey: Any reason why you kept quiet?

Bill: I just got married. Steffy has been a cause of tension in my marriage.

Jeffrey: So I hear. She sounds like she has quite the ego, thinking her body is worth a major corporation.

Bill laughed dryly.

Bill: I hope Brooke hasn't been telling you stories.

Jeffrey: Not about you, no. Steffy, on the other hand, remarked that she made a play for you in exchange for the company.

Bill: Is that what the trust fund trollop said? I suppose she forgot to inform you that she was planning to marry her uncle Rick.

There was coughing on the other end.

Jeffrey: Excuse me?

Bill: I think you heard. She was planning a wedding with Rick Forrester, Eric and Brooke's son.

Jeffrey: I'm confused. Isn't Eric her grandfather?

Bill: He isn't her biological grandfather.

Jeffrey: Ok, what does she call him?

Bill: Granddad.

Jeffrey: Ok, Mr. Spencer. Do you want to meet? If she is convicted, this may change the legal status of your sale of the company.

Bill: Certainly.

Jeffrey: When can you meet?

Bill: How does tomorrow sound?

Jeffrey: Ten o'clock?

Bill: Works for me.

Starbucks, The Spencer Building
The Same Time

Thorne Forrester sat in the corner booth, his mind going in a million directions. He was a tall, blond man with sky blue eyes and a suntan. After his father had gotten the company back, he had been happy for him, but when he discovered that the company had been divided four ways, with his father, mother, Ridge, and Taylor each getting twenty-five percent, he felt like he had been kicked in the gut.

So I get shut out again, he thought bitterly. At first he thought he may have been overreacting, but after a few days, he felt like he had been duped.

Again.

He could handle his mother and Ridge getting a bulk, as his mother put up the money-at least her father did. And Ridge was always the favorite. But Taylor? Just what the hell had she ever done to deserve it?

Then he thought about how his mother had lied to him and his precious daughter about Taylor's part in Darla's death. Well, I guess she had no problem lying to the cops for her precious Taylor, so handing that woman a bulk of the company would hardly be a big deal, he thought bitterly.

Damn those people. I need out. Maybe working for Spencer is the key.

[GIOVANNA]

Brooke's Mansion, The Kitchen
The Same Time

Jeffrey hung up his cell in disgust, then shook his head. Brooke watched him as she poured a cup of coffee. He certainly was attractive, with his big, brown eyes and suntan, she thought. She exhaled, as he was pretty young. He leaned back as he sipped his coffee.

Jeffrey: Mrs. Forrester?

Brooke: Call me Brooke.

Jeffrey: What kind of messed up tramp did your husband raise?

Brooke: Excuse me?

Jeffrey: You have a son with Eric Forrester, right?

Brooke: Yes, Eric junior, or Rick, as we all call him.

Jeffrey exhaled.

Jeffrey: I just talked to your brother-in-law. Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't Ridge, your husband, Steffy's father, call Eric dad?

Brooke frowned. Damn, explaining the dynamics of this family was going to be tricky, she thought.

Brooke: He does.

Jeffrey: So, Steffy calls Eric granddad, am I correct? And your son calls Eric dad.

Brooke: Yes.

Jeffrey: On what planet is a marriage between a man and his niece a good idea?

She turned beet red.

Brooke: It was what my son wanted. And for my faults, I do love my children.

Jeffrey: I'm sure you do. Look, I'm not trying to judge you, but as Rick's mother, your word should count for something. Why didn't you stand up and say, "She's your niece"?

Brooke: I don't have a good track record as a parent.

Jeffrey: By whose standards?

Brooke: Stephanie's.

Jeffrey: The same Stephanie who not only took a swing at me, but acts like her son's damn wife?

[sugarpie]

(((GIO))) just catching up to your wonderful fan fic..........Two thumbs up!!! ((Hugs)) keep them coming, it's getting GOOD!! WHOO HOOO!

[GIOVANNA]

May 24, 2010 9:31:47 GMT -5 sugarpie said:

(((GIO))) just catching up to your wonderful fan fic..........Two thumbs up!!! ((Hugs)) keep them coming, it's getting GOOD!! WHOO HOOO!

Very well, Sugar. LOL.

[GIOVANNA]

Bill's Office
The Same Time

Bill shook his head as he thought about Steffy and her brazen come-ons. Now that she and her family had gotten the company back, she had dropped her pursuit of him. He scratched his beard as he thought of his next move.

The phone rang and he picked it up.

Bill: Hello?

Voice: Hello, Boss?

Bill: Yes, Myrhea?

Myrhea: A Thorne Forrester is here to see you. He doesn't have an appointment.

Interesting, he thought.

Bill: Well, tell him-no, wait, I'll see him.

He hung up, and Thorne entered.

Bill: Thorne.

Thorne nodded.

Bill: Have a seat. Do you want any coffee?

Thorne sat.

Thorne: No, thanks.

Bill raised an eyebrow.

Thorne: I appreciate you seeing me.

Bill: You should, as I am a busy man.

Thorne: As I said, I appreciate it.

Bill: I am curious, however. I expect to see you celebrating with your family.

Thorne laughed, a hollow, bitter laugh. Bill folded his arms in front of his chest.

Bill: So, what brings you by?

Thorne: I got screwed. Again.

Bill: I see. And this is my concern because-

Thorne: It's not, actually. I just figure you and I have a common goal. We both got screwed.

Bill: And you want revenge.

Thorne: I want my place in the sun, and I want to be able to tell my family to go to hell. And yeah, I want them to suffer.

He cleared his throat.

Thorne: I've quit the company before and I worked for Spectra, and I stole from them. I did it for attention and when I got it, I backed down. I am tired of this crap.

Bill: Well, we don't pick our families.

Thorne: I sure as hell wouldn't have picked Ridge as a brother if that were the case.

Bill: Ok, what are you interested in?

Thorne: I want to be successful in my own right. I want my family to realize that, and I want to beat them. I figure you and I could join forces.

Bill: I see.

Thorne: I grew up at Forrester. I have read the financial reports since I was eighteen. I can research like no one else. And I know how that place runs.

Bill: Thorne.

Thorne looked at him.

Bill: Pardon me for playing the devil's advocate for a minute. You said you've worked for the competition before, only to back down. Why should I run the risk of you doing it again?

Thorne looked away.

Bill: What changed?

Thorne: When Steffy got the company back, it was divided four ways. Dad got a forth, Ridge got a forth, Mother got a forth, and Taylor got a forth. Felicia, Kristen, Rick, Bridgette, and I didn't get a damn thing.

He laughed, an angry laugh.

Thorne: Why the hell should Taylor get anything? For God's sake, she and Ridge are divorced. She ran over my wife, the love of my life, and lied to me for months. Then she screwed me to stay out of jail.

Bill: Taylor screwed you to stay out of prison? That's pretty cold.

[GIOVANNA]

JackieM's, Nick's Office
The Same Time

Nick sat at his desk, looking over the quarterly budget. He exhaled, thinking about Stephanie's departure and what it. meant. His phone rang and he picked it up.

Nick: Hello.

Voice: Hello, Nick? It's Aggie.

Nick: Yes.

Aggie: A Hope Logan is here to see you.

Nick coughed.

Nick: Send her in.

[GIOVANNA]

Spoilers...For the record, Aggie has lost Nick's child, but Bridget does not sleep with Owen.

*Brooke takes steps to make herself heard.
*Hope visits Nick to discuss the tension at work.
*With Nick providing Hope with a fatherly shoulder to cry on and Steffy's nups, Bridget is no longer the center of attention. What WILL she do?
*Stephanie butts heads with Brooke's new ally.
*Thomas decides to explore his legal options in ridding the company of Brooke and her family, and winds up with more trouble than he bargains for.
*Ridge finds his marriage and his two surviving brats little reigns of brattiness compromised by Nate's agenda.
*Steffy tries bartering her body to get something from Jeffrey.
*Bill and Thorne discuss the latter's employment.
*Ally formulates a plan to right some wrongs.

[sugarpie]

Catching up..........keep them coming....

[GIOVANNA]

The DA's Office
The Same Time

Nate Preston sat at his desk, rereading a memo. His phone rang and he picked it up.

Nate: Yes, Gina?

Gina: A Thomas Forrester here to see you.

Nate frowned.

Nate: Does he have an appointment?

Gina: No.

Nate: Well, send him in.

The door opened and a thin young man who looked like he had an aversion to sunlight entered. He also looked like he didn't shave. Nate looked him over, then stood up, extending his hand.

Nate: How do you do, Mr. Forrester. My name is Nate Preston.

Thomas: You can call me Thomas.

They shook hands.

Nate: Very well, Thomas. Now, what can I-

Thomas: I'd like Bill Spencer arrested.

Nate: Who's he?

Thomas: He's the bastard who stole my family's company.

Nate coughed.

Nate: You want me to arrest this guy.

Thomas: I just said that, didn't I?

Nate: Well, I read the trades.

Thomas: Then you know he's a thieving bastard who belongs in prison.

Nate: Young man, as I understand it, your family's company was late paying a loan. Mr. Spencer paid off the loan and bought the company. It was a legal business transaction.

Thomas: Bull, he stole my legacy.

Nate frowned, then picked up a magazine.

Nate: Didn't your family get the company back?

Thomas: They did. But I still want him to pay.

Nate shrugged.

Nate: Why?

Thomas: I want to send a message, that you don't screw with the Forresters and get away with it.

Nate: Do you have any proof that he acted illegally?

Thomas: No, that's your job.

Punk, Nate thought.

Nate: Look, he bought the company, you got it back. Sounds like you're borrowing trouble to me.

Thomas: So you're not going to arrest him?

Nate: No.

Thomas: Well, it's not fair.

Nate: Well, life is not always fair. Now I appreciate your-

Thomas: Dammit.

He sat down, then looked up.

Thomas: Can you arrest someone for stealing your father from your mother?

Nate: Come again?

Thomas: Brooke. She stole my father from my mother. There should be a law against that.

Nate: Your father chose Brooke over your mother. Not fair, but it happens every day.

Thomas: I want the G&ddamn Logans out of MY company. If Brooke is arrested-

Nate: No. As far as I know, she hasn't broken the law.

Thomas: Well, I'll just have to scare her, like I did to her stupid son.

What are you going to do, whine her to death, Nate thought.

Thomas: I'll torch her house.

Nate: Torching a house is a crime. It's called arson and will get you a prison term.

Thomas: Only if that bimbo presses charges. She's too scared of losing my dad to do anything to me. Besides, she didn't press charges when I torched Rick's house and blew up his car.

Nate: You torched his house and blew up his car?

Thomas: Yep. He drove me to it.

Nate cleared his throat.

Nate: You just admitted to two felonies, Thomas. And you did it in front of a DA.

Thomas: So?

Nate: So it is my job to arrest you.

Thomas scoffed.

Thomas: You can't touch me.

Watch me, thought Nate.

Thomas: I was cleared of those charges.

Nate coughed.

Nate: By whom?

Thomas: Brooke and Rick. They agreed not to press charges. So I was cleared.

Nate: Just because your victim and his mother declined to press charges does not mean said charges can't be filed in the future.

Thomas: Rick's no victim. He's a sexual predator, like his whore of a mother.

Nate's eyes widened.

Thomas: Besides, they'll never press charges.

He giggled.

Nate stood up. This punk made his skin crawl and he wanted his ass out of his office. But if Thomas was telling the truth, it was his job to file charges. All he had to do was get a confession, and Nate knew the little brat was itching to brag.

Nate: I think you need to leave.

Thomas looked hurt.

Thomas: Don't you want to know how and why I did it?

Nate: I would, but I can't talk to you without a lawyer present, so-

Thomas: I don't need a lawyer, I haven't done anything.

Nate: Do you mind if I tape this conversation?

Thomas: No, of course not.

Nate: Very well.

He pulled out a micro-cassette recorder and pressed a button.

Nate: This is district attorney Nathan Preston, of the city of Los Angeles, and the date is Friday, June 11, 2010, and the time is one-thirty P.M. I am interviewing Thomas Forrester regarding the night he torched the house of Eric Forrester, Junior and the time he blew up his car.

Thomas giggled.

Nate: Thomas, would you like to call your lawyer?

Thomas: I told you, I don't need a lawyer, weren't you listening?

Nate: I just want to be clear.

[GIOVANNA]

Nate's Office
The Same Time

Nate leaned back.

Nate: Mr. Forrester has waived his right to an attorney. I have informed him that setting fire to someone's house and blowing up a car are both crimes, but he has informed me that he doesn't need a lawyer.

Thomas rolled his eyes. This fat bastard was boring him. He sounded like a broken record.

Nate: Let me ask you this one more time so there are no misunderstandings, you do not wish to have a lawyer present, do you not?

Thomas: Of course not. Are you deaf?

Nate: No, my hearing's fine.

Thomas looked down his nose at this drab civil servant. Sure, he set fire to someone's house and blew a car up, but really, it wasn't his fault. That scum Rick had seduced his mother and both his sisters, so he didn't have a choice. He was driven to it, as the Logans were poison.

He recalled his father's words when he confessed:

"No, Son, I understand."

When he was done, this jerk was going to thank him for reporting this ugly crime and he was going to lock Rick up and throw away the key. He smirked at how clever he was.

Nate: Did I say something funny?

Thomas: No.

Nate: Very well. Why don't you start at the beginning?

Thomas: The beginning?

Nate: What compelled you to set fire to Rick Forrester's house and blow up his car?

Thomas shrugged.

Thomas: He seduced my mother and killed my sister.

Nate: Indeed.

He looked at his legal pad.

Nate: You're talking about Phoebe Forrester and the night of the accident.

Thomas: That was no accident, it was murder. Rick murdered her in cold blood.

Nate: According to a statement made by Eric Forrester, Junior, he was getting ready to go to his mother's engagement party. Phoebe jumped in the car, didn't fasten her seat belt, attacked him, grabbed the steering wheel, and slammed her foot on the gas. As a result, she was thrown from the car.

Thomas: So it's HER fault?

Nate: I didn't say that, no. I just stated the events that took place, and that her death was an accident. According to Mr. Forrester's statement-

Thomas: He's a liar.

Nate: He could lie like Pinnocio, but in this case, the evidence supports his story. Your sister's palm prints for both hands were on the steering wheel. She grabbed it while he was driving. And there was a piece of her dress caught in the gas pedal. She ambushed him while he was driving, which is always a recipe for disaster. And had she been wearing a seat-belt, it would have prevented her being thrown. Also, there is a statement from a doctor Bridget Forrester that Rick's skin and DNA was under Phoebe's fingernails, which is consistent with her scratching him.

He gazed at Thomas.

Nate: I am sorry about your sister and I understand you wanting to assign blame for this. But it was a tragic accident and Rick Forrester was not criminally or civilly liable.

Thomas scowled. He resented being told that a hated Logan was not to blame. All his life he had heard about how Brooke had destroyed his grandparents' marriage, stolen his father from his mother, and taken the company. Since this horrible man was not buying Rick as a murderer, well, maybe he'd understand the sexual depravity the creep was guilty of.

[GIOVANNA]

Nate's Office
The Same Time

Thomas exhaled.

Nate: Now you were saying?

Thomas: Rick is spoiled rotten. He killed my sister-

Nate: That was an accident.

Thomas: Well, he screwed my mother.

Nate: I see. And wasn't your mother a willing participant?

Thomas: She was vulnerable.

Nate: I heard that they were engaged and she called it off.

Thomas: So?

Nate: If she agreed to marry him, it sounds like she had no problem sleeping with him.

Thomas narrowed his eyes.

Thomas: Are you calling my mother a tramp?

Nate: No, I'm just not willing to buy a divorced mother of three as some helpless female.

Thomas: Ok, fine. He took my baby sister's virginity.

Nate: You mean to tell me he slept with his niece, Phoebe? Why didn't your parents tell your sister that Uncle Ricky was not a romantic option?

Thomas scowled.

Thomas: No, he didn't screw her. Besides, he isn't really our uncle. My father's father is Massimo Marone, Rick's father is Eric Forrester.

Nate: Even so, Steffy calls Eric granddad, Rick calls him dad. End of discussion. It's still trashy.

Thomas: How dare you imply that my family is a bunch of freaks.

Nate: I'm not implying anything. I just find it twisted that your sisters are taking turns with Uncle Rick. That is what happened, isn't it?

Thomas: He and Phoebe didn't screw. He screwed Steffy.

Nate: And you know this how? Were you in the room?

Thomas: He had been pursuing her for at least a month to get back at my dad. I went up to Rick's house and saw them.

Nate: You did.

Thomas: I stood outside the window and watched them screw.

Nate: You actually watched?

Thomas: So?

Nate coughed.

Thomas: I waited until Steffy left, and I saw some lighter fluid. I doused his doorstep and lit a match.

He giggled.

Thomas: I gave him a day, but he didn't quit. So I built a bomb and planted it in his car.

Nate: How did you go about building this bomb?

Thomas: I downloaded the instructions form the internet. Then I bought the chemicals and rigged it so I could set it off by remote.

Nate: Where was his car when the bomb went off?

Thomas: The parking lot at Forrester. I remember it was dark, so it was at night.

He giggled again, an eerie, high-pitched sound.

Thomas: Man, you should have seen the look on his face.

[GIOVANNA]

Nate's Office
The Same Time

Nate: Ok, this happened at night. Was anyone present?

Thomas yawned, then looked at his fingernails.

Thomas: Dad and Brooke were on the sky lounge, that creep and my sister were walking towards the car.

He giggled.

Thomas: I pressed the button and it was just like in the movies.

Nate: What kind of car was it?

Thomas: A 1974 red mustang.

Nate: What time-

Thomas: Seven-thirty.

Nate: And you didn't come clean?

Thomas: Well, I did, eventually. I sent the jerk a letter with the letters cut out from a magazine.

Nate: And what did this note say?

Thomas: "You're dead."

Nate: And the date of this explosion?

Thomas: Friday, May 15, 2009.

Nate: Very well.

He turned off the recorder and stood up.

Nate: I appreciate you coming in and talking with me. You've been very helpful.

Thomas smirked.

Thomas: Anytime. I am, after all, a concerned citizen.

More like a freak who watches his sister make love, Nate thought.

Thomas stretched and stood up.

Thomas: Will you be arresting Rick?

Nate: No.

Thomas frowned.

Thomas: Well, I guess I'll be going.

Nate: I don't think so.

He walked to the door and opened it.

Nate: Detective Baker.

Baker entered.

Baker: Yes?

Nate: I need you to place Mr. Forrester here under arrest.

Thomas stared in horror.

This had to be a mistake.

Baker: Certainly. What charges?

Nate: Arson in the second degree, attempted murder in the first degree with an explosive, making it special circumstances, and destruction of property.

[GIOVANNA]

Rodeo Drive
Two P.M.

Steffy strutted her stuff, a big grin on her face. So far she had gone to La Perla for a real teddy to please her man, a late lunch for two from Whole Foods, and had spent about two grand on a new wardrobe for herself. She knew she was spending money like it was going out of style, but so what? When Deacon gave her the dirt on Hope and Brooke, then the hated woman and her love child would be history. Not only would she be out of the company, thus making it more profitable, but since her mother owned a forth of the company, she would be spending a lot of time down there. As far as Steffy was concerned, it was just a matter of time before her parents reunited.

[GIOVANNA]

Forrester Creations, Eric's Office
The Same Time

Stephanie paced around the office, her mouth an angry line. Her family was having a crisis, and so far, she only had Ridge to whine to. She had called Thorne, who had said that he couldn't make it.

Flashback

Stephanie drummed her fingers on the desk as she waited for Thorne to answer his cell. Finally he picked up.

Thorne: Hello?

Stephanie: Hello, Honey. Where are you?

Thorne: On my way to lunch.

Stephanie: Well, cancel it. We need to have a family meeting.

Thorne: What's the problem? Is Spencer-

Stephanie: No, nothing to do with him. This is family business.

Thorne: Is Dad divorcing Donna?

Stephanie: No, it's Steffy.

Thorne: Is she okay?

Stephanie: No, she isn't. She got married.

Thorne: Ok, so?

Stephanie: She married Deacon. We need to get together to get it annulled.

Thorne: Steffy is twenty-three. Her marrying Deacon is hardly a crisis.

Stephanie: He's using her.

Thorne: Look, I hate to sound callous, but that isn't my problem.

Stephanie: Dammit, Thorne! This is an emergency.

Thorne: Hardly. Look, I know Deacon is a jerk, but I don't see how I can help, God knows this family never includes me in any discussions.

Stephanie: Can I expect you?

Thorne: No. Between you, Dad, Ridge, and Taylor, you should be able to handle this one. I'm going to meet my daughter for coffee.

Stephanie: What?

Thorne: Ally is in town. You know, your granddaughter.

Stephanie: Well, I think your meeting her can wait.

Thorne: Good-bye, Mother. I need to hang up now. I'll give Ally your love.

He hung up. She exhaled in annoyance, then picked up the phone and dialed. There were three rings.

Eric: Hello?

Stephanie: Hello, Eric?

Eric: Yes.

Stephanie: Why aren't you at work?

Eric: I had a doctor's appointment. Plus I am meeting my wife for lunch.

She gritted her teeth.

Stephanie: Playing hooky with that tramp. You know, we can't get the company up and running without-

Eric: That tramp, as you call her, is my wife and has been for over a year.

Stephanie: We need to have a family meeting.

Eric: Is it about Steffy?

Stephanie: Yes.

Eric: Have you heard from her?

Stephanie: She's back.

Eric: Good.

Stephanie: However, we have a problem. You need to come down here.

Eric: Can't it wait?

Stephanie: No.

Eric: Very well, I'll call Donna and we'll both be-

Stephanie: No, I don't want that tramp here.

Eric: Donna is my wife, and a member of this family. If we have a family crisis, she is going to be there.

Stephanie: Her sister is to blame for this latest crisis.

Eric: What crisis? Can you be more specific?

Stephanie: Steffy married Deacon.

[GIOVANNA]

Spago
The Same Time

Donna sat in the corner booth, looking professional and sultry at the same time. She was wearing a pale pink silk tank top and a white business suite from Donna Karen. She exhaled as she checked her watch. Granted she was early, but she was thinking about her visit to the doctor.

Flashback

Donna sat on the examining table, wearing one of those itchy gowns that tied in the back. How she hated them. Her doctor, a woman in her mid-forties with long, graying hair and glasses, entered.

Doctor: Hello. Donna.

Donna: Hello.

Doctor: I hope I didn't worry you over the phone.

Donna: You didn't. I am curious, however.

The doctor cleared her throat.

Doctor: I'll come straight to the point. You're pregnant.

Donna coughed.

Donna: How is that possible?

Doctor: Come again?

Donna: I-my husband had a vasectomy. Look, there hasn't been anyone else, I swear.

Doctor: Ok. Then you have nothing to worry about.

Donna: But he had-

Doctor: Well, I know cases where that operation isn't a success.

[lalogan]

Fang...what a bitch! Aly is her granddaughter every bit as much as Slutty Stuffy, and the REAL first Forrester grandchild, but she's fixated on Slutty Stuffy and her latest self-made drama, even expecting Thorne to forget meeting ewith Aly and uselessly attend a stupid meeting in which he can do nothing...because Ugly N. Stupid and everything that takes place with his nasty family is automatically The Center Of The Universe. Well, at least Fang rememberd Thorne existed, although as always, she remembers him ONLY if she has no one else to whine to or he dates a woman with the last name "Logan."

Applause for Eric to stand up for his wife to the fat old dragon. I don't see what good Donna can do either, but he refused to dis-include her to pacify the dragon.

[GIOVANNA]

Jun 26, 2010 23:36:18 GMT -5 lalogan said:

Fang...what a bitch! Aly is her granddaughter every bit as much as Slutty Stuffy, and the REAL first Forrester grandchild, but she's fixated on Slutty Stuffy and her latest self-made drama, even expecting Thorne to forget meeting ewith Aly and uselessly attend a stupid meeting in which he can do nothing...because Ugly N. Stupid and everything that takes place with his nasty family is automatically The Center Of The Universe. Well, at least Fang rememberd Thorne existed, although as always, she remembers him ONLY if she has no one else to whine to or he dates a woman with the last name "Logan."

Applause for Eric to stand up for his wife to the fat old dragon. I don't see what good Donna can do either, but he refused to dis-include her to pacify the dragon.

Thanks for your comments. I hope I'm not being too over the top with Hag, but considering the way she lied to Thorne and Ally about Taylor's part in Darla's death, I can easily see her ordering Thorne to drop what he's doing and do what she wants.

Donna really can't do anything about Stuffy and her latest drama, but that isn't Hag's concern. All this is about is her making this big deal about family and shutting Donna out. And she isn't interested in a solution, she just wants to have yet another bash and blame Brooke session.

[GIOVANNA]

Flashback

Eric: What?

Stephanie: Steffy married Deacon.

Eric: But she is home.

Stephanie sighed in annoyance.

Stephanie: That's all you have to say?

Eric: At least she returned home.

Stephanie: We need to get this marriage annulled. Today.

Eric: Look, I don't like Deacon any more than you do, but Steffy is an adult. And she isn't stupid, I'm sure she knows Deacon's history. Just relax. We can have this meeting tomorrow.

Stephanie: Why? Busy with your bimbo?

Eric: Please stop calling her that.

Stephanie: When will you get it, Eric? These Logans cannot make a marriage work. It's just a matter of time before-

Eric: Stop.

Stephanie: I thought you would know by now that we belong together. Steffy knows, that's why she got the company back the way she did. I figured after our trips down memory lane, you would see that.

Eric cleared his throat.

Eric: Those trips down memory lane were just me remembering the glory days of the company. At no time did I say that I was going to return to you. Donna is my wife and I'll thank you not to undermine our marriage. I'll call Ridge later to see what the situation is.

[GIOVANNA]

Spago
The Same Time

Eric entered the high-end eatery and nodded to the maitre'd. He was meeting his wife and was pissed that his former wife had insisted on calling him to gripe. Although he was happy to have the company back, he was disturbed that Steffy had gone as far as she had. He had no doubt that she had gone after Bill and used her body as leverage, as that young man, Cheng, had no reason to lie. And he had no desire to inquire about her methods, as he could just imagine the reaction from his family, at least his former wife. She would get all angry and demand how he could believe a stranger over his own family. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he scanned the restaurant for his wife.

Across The Room

Donna exhaled as she checked her appearance. It was crazy, but she was nervous. Well, she was entitled to be, wasn't she? She was pregnant and she had no idea how Eric would take her news. Her face darkened as she thought of how his family would take it. They would accuse her of lying and say the baby wasn't his. She could just hear the old bat and her ugly bastard, plotting and scheming to undermine her marriage.

Damn! I'm the man's wife, she thought. I didn't just get pregnant with a married man, and this pregnancy wasn't planned. Besides, why am I fretting over what those two will think. Stephanie used a pregnancy to secure a marriage and she lied about the paternity. And Ridge was nothing more than a droning dork, what with his crap about morals and loyalty.

[GIOVANNA]

Spencer Publications
The Same Time

While Donna was fretting over how she would break her pregnancy to her husband, her brother-in-law sat at his desk. He sipped his coffee as he stared at the picture in front of him.

Forrester, Taylor H.
LAPD

The photo showed Ridge's ex-wife, who was not at her best. She looked drawn and the no-doubt harsh lighting emphasized that she had obviously been under the knife. He picked up his mark Cross pen and wrote on his notepad.

Fashion Family or Family of felons?

Then he picked up the photo of Ridge, sitting in the county jail. What an ugly piece of crap, he thought. Then his face darkened at ANY woman marrying him repeatedly the way his sister-in-law did. He shook his head.

Brooke, Brooke, what ARE you thinking? And where is your taste?

He leaned back as he thought of Thorne. The guy obviously needed a reality check and a kick in the ass, in no particular order. After Thorne had confided in him, Bill felt a mixture of pity, anger, and disgust at the way this intelligent man had gotten screwed with his pants on. Here he was, Eric Forrester's firstborn son, and he was relegated to the basement. Meanwhile, the Marone bastard was acting like the heir apparent. Thorne had a legitimate beef with this crap, and it disgusted Bill the way he had taken this long to question it.

I can use this to my advantage, he thought. Then he thought about Thorne, and realized that he didn't want the advantage at the expense of him. The guy did not deserve to be manipulated, as his family had treated him like garbage for long enough. It was like he was committing heresy to say anything against Taylor. Bill shook his head. The drunken broad ran down his wife, lied about it, and whored herself out to her victim's widower to stay out of jail. His phone rang and he picked it up.

Bill: Spencer.

Voice: Hello, Boss?

Bill: Yeah, Justin?

Justin: I may have something of interest.

Bill: What's that?

Justin: Thomas Forrester. He's been arrested.

Bill: You're kidding.

Justin: No, I'm not. He gets arraigned tomorrow.

Bill: What's he being charged with?

Justin: My contact said arson and attempted murder in the first degree, with special circumstances.

[GIOVANNA]

Metro Diner
The Same Time

Deacon Sharpe sat at a booth and cracked his knuckles. He smiled to himself as he thought of his morning.

After Stephanie had gotten a phone call from Jon, he decided to take off. Then he exhaled and thought of Brooke. He was interested in seeing his daughter and he wasn't sure what Brooke's reaction would be upon hearing his news. He guessed that Ridge had her wrapped around his love tool. What that idiot had that made Brooke grovel was a mystery to him. He exhaled and pulled out his cell phone, then dialed.

There were three rings before there was an answer.

Voice: Hello?

Deacon: Hello, Brooke?

Brooke: This is she.

He smiled to himself.

Deacon: You will never guess who this is.

There was coughing at the other end.

Brooke: Deacon?

Deacon: The one and only.

Brooke: Damn.

Deacon: How are you?

Brooke: Fine. Look, now isn't a good time.

Deacon: Indeed. When is a-

Brooke: I am having problems at home. I assume you are calling about Hope.

Deacon: That I am. And I have some news you need to hear.

Denny's
The Same Time

Brooke chewed on a nail.

Damn, I have no desire to see Deacon, she thought crossly. She hoped he wasn't calling to pick up where they had left off all those years ago, as she wouldn't put it past him. And the last thing she needed was him getting in her face. She had some decisions to make and she did not need the distraction of Deacon.

Brooke: What news?

Deacon: I'd rather tell you in person. Where are you?

Brooke: I'm at Denny's.

Deacon: Well, well. You're across the street.