Episode 5: Amber, Becky, and Little Eric

(Note that in spite of speculation on continuing the thread from last week, this is a stand-alone episode.)
Stephanie and Becky are caring for Little Eric. Stephanie is out of the room, and Becky is changing the baby's diaper. "Aren't you cuuuute," she coos. "My baby was cute too. He had a little birthmark, right..." She turns him over, apparently forgetting that his diaper needs changed. The camera zooms in and we get several fragmented shots of Little Eric's birthmark. "Oh my God," Becky whispers. She gets up and backs away, leaving the child lying on the couch. "Oh. My. God." Finally, she snaps out of her shock and calls Sarah, the midwife who delivered her baby and Amber's. "Yes?" Sarah answers, expecting one of her patients to be calling. "Hello, Sarah," Becky says in a voice that reminds us all of Silence of the Lambs. "B-B-Becky?" "Yes, Sarah. I want to ask you something." "W-W-What?" "What happened to my baby?" "We gave him up for adoption, remember?" "So... If I were to go to the county, they could tell me where he was placed?" "No. I mean, you don't need to do that." "Why not?" (Silence.) "Could it be because my baby never went to the county? Perhaps he went home... with Amber?" Becky's voice turns to pure steel as she continues. "I know, Sarah. I saw the birthmark. Why does Amber have my baby?" "Hers died--and you didn't want Little Eric--and she needed a baby--It was all Tawny's idea--" "To keep Amber's marriage together, right? Right. Beverly Hills and all that. Thank you, Sarah." And she puts the phone down. She returns to the couch--to find Little Eric crying on the floor. "Oh, my poor sweet angel! Are you all right?" He is; it was only a short fall. Realising that his cries will bring Stephanie, Becky grabs Little Eric--still without his diaper--picks up his diaper bag, and runs out, dropping a toy on the way.

Stephanie comes back into the room and immediately notices that Becky and the baby are gone. She spots the toy on the floor and the dirty diaper on the couch, and her eyes narrow in thought. She steps outside long enough to realise that Becky's car is gone as well. Just then, Amber comes in, looking for the baby. "So, where is he?" she asks perkily. "With Becky," Stephanie muses. "WHAT?" "Well, I left her changing his diaper, and now they're both gone. So he must be with her. You know, Amber, I think you're right about her. I also think you know more than you're telling." Amber begins to panic.

Sarah calls Tawny. "She knows," she wails. "She know, Tawny, it's all OVER!" "What's over?" "Everything. Becky knows about the baby switch." "Oh, no. I'd better call Amber." She hangs up and dials the guest house, where Amber has returned to wait for a call from Becky--or her mother. "Hello?" "Amber, honey, it's your mother." "Mom, she knows, she knows!" "I know, honey. What happened?" "Stephanie let Becky change his diaper!" "Well, honey, she's not going to keep him." "Yes she is, Mom." "Over my dead body! Now, just keep lying to the Forresters and let me take care of this." Tawny hangs up again. Amber has another hysterical fit before realising that she has to do something. "I can't lie anymore," she says to herself. "I've told too many lies." She walks out and goes back to the main house.

"Amber!" Rick exclaims when she walks in. "Shouldn't you be down at the guest house? Becky might call." "She's... not going to call." "What do you mean?" "Stephanie, can I talk to Rick alone?" "Sure, he's your husband. I'll just go find something to eat..." "I've lied to you," Amber blurts out when Stephanie is out of earshot. "Again? What is it this time?" "The baby. He's not... He's not ours." "What do you mean, Amber?" Stephanie demands. Amber begins to break down. "Our baby was born dead," she sobs. "Becky had just had a kid, too, and she didn't want him." "So you adopted him," Rick continues, in shock. "But wouldn't I have to be a part of that too?" "We... we just did it. No papers, no questions. I took her baby home with me. It's a secret. It was. But she saw the birthmark when she changed his diaper--" No longer able to continue, she dissolves into tears. Rick puts his arms around her. "Oh, honey. Why didn't you tell me?" His voice is loving, not critical. "I didn't want to lose you." "I'll stick by you. You need me now more than ever." "You'll even give up Kimberly?" she asks in wonder. "Well..." At his hesitation, Amber becomes angry. "You won't. Well, see if I care. You'll have divorce papers by tomorrow morning! I can't share you like that, Rick."

Becky pulls up outside Tawny's trailer in Furnace Creek. "Dang. No more gas," she mutters. "Guess I'll have to get Aunt Tawny to take me back to Mom's place." She picks up Little Eric--still minus his diaper, and smelling more than ever--and walks to the door. Tawny opens it at her knock. "Becky! You give me that baby right now. You have no right to him." ""Can I use your phone, Aunt Tawny?" "Why?" "To call the police. I'd like to report a kidnapping. then I'd like you to take me home. I'm out of gas." "You are reporting no such thing. The only kidnapper here is you." "He's mine, Aunt Tawny. And I'm taking him home." "Over my dead body!" "That can be arranged." Becky takes out a gun and fires it. Tawny falls to the floor. Little Eric starts crying.

What you can learn from this:

As much as I hate devoting an entire episode to one plotline, I pretty much had no choice here. Aside from the whole Kimberly/Rick/Amber/Little Eric/Becky thing, all that's been going on is Taylor's TB, and I've already said all that I can say about that, relly. Except to say that I doubt they're going to kill of Taylor.

• "Oh, My God!"
  This scene was pretty much OK in the show--except that Becky either forgot or never knew the Number One Rule of Diaper Changing: never leave the kid lying on the changing surface while you go talk on the phone! Babies are notorious for rolling off of things if left alone for two seconds. I was glad Becky thought to box him in with pillows when she left him in the motel room--all alone, I might add. Also, just a note about the birthmark: I couldn't believe Amber's reaction. "A lot of babies have birthmarks," she blubbers. Even hysterical, she ought to know better. As Becky pointed out--the same shape, size, color, and placement? How likely is that? And, by the way, what was the point of zooming in on that small object Becky or Little Eric dropped on the way out if it was just going to be ignored after that?

• "So, Where Is He?"
  I don't know why anyone even bothered with putting Brooke in this scene, unless it was to get Stephanie out of the room. Which could have been done as easily any number of other ways without subjecting us to Brooke's whiny, accusatory nature--even if she is right this time. Also, I'm tired of Stephanie only ever being suspicious of Brooke. Give her someone else to do that to.

• "She Knows!"
  Where in the world does Tawny get the idea that Amber will somehow miraculously be able to keep Little Eric? I don't think so. There was no adoption. It was completely illegal. I just heard her scam idea, and I think it says something about Tawny. She is not concerned about Amber. Tawny is in this for the free Forrester fashions, the house in Beverly Hills, etc., etc. I'm glad Amber has decided that she can't lie anymore.

• "I Didn't Want To Lose You."
  My big problem with this is that Brooke doesn't seem to realise that Amber and Rick are married. Guess what? That means when they have problems, they need privacy sometimes to discuss those problems. And yet every time one of Amber's secrets has been about to come out, Brooke refuses to allow them that. Is it any wonder this marriage is doomed, when Brooke won't allow the two of them the rights that any adult married couple needs? It is my opinion that if Brooke wasn't so pushy about it, these secrets would come out easier and sooner. I'm not condoning keeping those secrets, but half of Amber's problem is that she is intimidated by Brooke. And I'm tired of it. This also gave me an opportunity to point out that rather than threatening Kimberly, Amber should bring her concerns to Rick's attention.

• "Over My Dead Body!"
  Tawny's reaction was a little overstated, and I wondered what would happen if her "prediction" came true. Also, it makes more sense for Becky to go to Furnace Creek. Yes, she will be found there--but causing a fuss will only ring the matter to the attention of the proper authorities. Becky has no money, as we know (and she squandered some of it on beer??), and the "supplies" she bought... Well, my mother assures me that the formula might get the baby through the night. How is Becky going to make more money? Eventually I'm sure she'll come up with something typically soap-opera, like blackmail... Until then, it makes more sense for her to go home to her family. Her mother will support her, surely.

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