At Spencer with Bill, Liam said it would be one thing if it had taken a turn for the worse with him and Steffy; however, it hadn't happened that way. He and Steffy had been great, and he'd just had a choice to make. Bill replied that Liam had chosen his family with Hope.
Agreeing, Liam said it wasn't as if he didn't love Steffy or wouldn't continue to worry about her, but he'd started a new life with Hope, Beth, and Douglas, which had begun to include Kelly. Kelly had spent a lot of time with them, leaving Steffy alone in the home that she and Liam had shared together. Bill reasoned that Steffy wasn't totally alone.
"Well, she's not totally alone. I mean, she does have that big freaking picture of the two of you smack-dab in the middle of the wall, which I think is a little bit weird at this point, and Steffy should consider it taking it down," Bill added. Liam guessed that Bill was probably right.
Bill admired Liam's dedication to both of his families, but Liam felt that Steffy deserved better than what he'd left her with. He said that she was stuck at home, recovering from an accident and missing her daughter. He felt that Steffy was on her own too much, and it was too much.
Bill advised Liam that guilt was like quicksand, and Liam shouldn't indulge in it -- unless he was reconsidering his decision. Liam didn't feel that way. He felt guilty that Steffy was alone because he'd walked out, but his future was with Hope. He said Steffy knew that.
Bill decided that Liam was overthinking it, and the strong, beautiful, and intelligent Steffy would find someone new. He reasoned that some independent people were also good at being alone. Liam knew that one thing Steffy didn't like was being without Kelly.
Just then, Hope arrived. Liam anxiously asked her how the drop-off had gone. Hope informed him that it hadn't happened yet. She explained about the kids' art project and Kelly's desire to finish it. Hope said she'd gone to Steffy with breakfast in hand and to let her know. She'd also wanted to catch up with Steffy one on one, but Steffy's reaction had been intense.
Liam understood why. He said Kelly was the center of Steffy's universe, and suddenly, Kelly was spending all that time at the cabin. He said Steffy missed her daughter.
In Bill's opinion, it was a "catch-22," and one was "damned" if he did and "damned" if he didn't. He thought it was a good thing for Kelly to spend more time than usual with them those days because chasing a toddler was hard work, pain or no pain, and Steffy was in pain. Bill said Steffy needed the time and space to recover and get back to the mom she wanted to be.
Hope didn't even know how Steffy had been managing working from home and single-parenting in light of Amelia's family emergency. Liam wasn't sure Steffy would see it the way Bill did and became worried that she'd think they were taking advantage of her at a time when she couldn't fight back.
"Like we're trying to cut Kelly out of Steffy's life? Do you really think she believes that?" Hope asked. Liam thought that Steffy saw her pain as a failure, especially if it meant she couldn't take care of her daughter, and they needed to be more sensitive to it at a time when Steffy was trying to get back to herself. Hope said that Steffy wasn't completely alone. Liam asked what Hope meant. Hope said that Steffy's doctor had shown up.
Liam asked if something was wrong, and Hope explained that the doctor was Steffy's neighbor, too, and had been checking in on her. In a country accent, Bill stated that it was neighborly of the doctor, who'd probably brought a pie and hand-churned butter, too. "Come on! What do you think he's there for?" Bill asked. Liam wondered why everyone had to have an ulterior motive.
Bill asked if it was the young, handsome doctor from the hospital. Hope assumed it could be. Looking at Liam, Bill called it interesting. Liam said the guy was a doctor who'd gone the extra mile. Liam asked what was wrong with that. Bill asked what was wrong with Liam. Interjecting, Hope said she was just happy that Steffy was getting the personalized care she needed.
Bill decided that, doctor aside, it was a blessing that Hope and Liam were caring for Kelly. He was sure they'd need time for themselves to maybe go on a date. "Give me all three of them," Bill confidently offered. Hope and Liam looked afraid. Bill said he ran the biggest conglomerate on the planet and could handle three rug rats . He'd throw Will in the mix, and they'd rock that place like a "G-Rated Studio 54." Hope and Liam became perplexed.
"Studio 54? It was the hottest club in Manhattan!" Bill responded. Liam and Hope still didn't get it. Bill said to forget it. Liam decided that, sans the nightclub, they might take Bill up on it. Bill replied that he rescinded the offer. Hope repeated that she was glad Steffy's doctor lived nearby.
Later, Hope returned to the office and noticed that Bill had gone. She wondered if it was something she'd said. Liam was sure Bill probably had a couple of companies to crush before the end of the business day. Hope asked if all the ruthless corporate raiding bothered him. It didn't as much as it once had, and he wondered if he should be worried about himself.
Liam asked Hope what her gut was saying about Steffy. Hope said that was why she'd arrived there. She'd wanted to talk to him about it. It wasn't anything tangible that Hope could point to, but something was off with Steffy. He wondered if almost experiencing death had affected Steffy. Hope wasn't sure that was it. It felt like more was going on.
Agreeing, Liam said he could see that something was beneath Steffy's easygoing persona. When he'd tried to talk to her, she'd given him the same song and dance. That was why he wanted Hope's opinion about whether he was overreacting. Hope didn't think he was.
Liam wondered how they were supposed to help if Steffy wouldn't talk. Hope reasoned that it might not be up to them, and maybe someone else could reach her in ways that they couldn't. Liam suggested Thomas or Ridge. "Steffy's doctor?" Hope suggested.
At the cliff house, Finn let Steffy know that she could count on him to help her heal physically and emotionally. He wasn't at all surprised when she responded that it was sweet, but she was fine. Smiling, she asked if he was saying he knew her well. Finn thought he knew her better than she thought he did, and he could already tell when she was pretending.
Steffy replied that she wasn't. The only problem she had was not having her meds. It was a problem he could fix by calling in a prescription. He asked if it would numb her physical pain or the pain in her heart. She asked if he'd psychoanalyze her. Finn replied that there would be no charge for it. He wasn't denying her physical pain. He just sensed more going on.
Finn asked about the tension with Hope and if it had to do with the father of their daughters. "No offense. I appreciate your concern, but my past with Hope and Liam is really not something I want to get into," Steffy replied. Finn didn't mean to pry. He wanted to help -- if he could.
Steffy believed that. She saw Finn as kind and caring and guessed he'd had a calling to help people. Finn became bashful but let her know that he had her best interests at heart. He assured her that the pain would subside, and she'd have much to be grateful for. He thought she was smart, talented, and beautiful and said she'd have her health and her little girl, too.
Steffy felt as if she never got to see Kelly, who'd been with Hope and Liam so much. Finn asked if it was a bad thing. Steffy reasoned that it gave her a break and time to heal, but she wouldn't call it a good thing. Finn asked why not. She said she missed her daughter and wanted to be with her all the time.
Finn said it was natural, but Steffy wasn't in ordinary circumstances. She was still recovering and in considerable pain from a very serious accident. She was having difficulty managing that pain. He asked if Kelly was happy with her father. Steffy said the child was having a blast with her cousin and sister. Finn advised Steffy to appreciate it and take advantage of the time -- especially Kelly having a happy distraction. It would help Steffy's body and heart heal.
Steffy asked what Finn was talking about. Finn recognized love in the portrait behind him. He said the couple in it had made a promise of a future and family. That promise was gone, and it left a whole different level of pain behind. He sensed that her desire for the medication wasn't just for her physical pain.
Steffy noted that Finn just said whatever he wanted, valid or not. Finn admitted that it was his personal opinion, based upon close observation. He'd also observed that she was a strong fighter. That was what would get her through it, not another prescription. She felt she could handle short bouts of pain, but the only thing that got her through long stretches of it was the medication. Finn advised her to be honest with herself about why she wanted the meds.
Steffy rolled her eyes. Finn said he didn't deny her physical pain, but she was struggling emotionally, too. It was a dangerous combination, and she needed to open her eyes to it. She rolled her eyes again. Finn wasn't judging her. He knew what it was like to have life plans shatter all around him. He said everyone went through it, but in those times, a person needed help and encouragement. That was what he was trying to give.
Steffy asked if it was some kind of pep talk. "Well, if that's what you need, Steffy," he insisted. Finn recounted her successes at Forrester and added that she was a single mom to a beautiful daughter. He felt she had a lot to be proud of. She replied that she was living her life one challenge at a time. "And you're particularly challenged right now," he said.
"Thanks," Steffy replied, and they laughed. Finn told her that one thing in her favor was that she wasn't was alone, and she had an amazing support system. He urged her to use it. She could use her father for support and guidance. "And lean on me...if you choose. I'm right here," he told her.
Steffy admitted that she'd been facing challenges and dealing with a lot. She wanted to be there for her daughter and do the right things for the child. She berated herself for getting on the bike. He said she'd wanted to go for a ride. She told him to look at what it had cost her. He told her that it didn't mean she was a bad mother. She felt compromised, and whenever she tried to rise above it, a shooting pain would take her breath away.
Finn replied that being there alone made it that much harder. Steffy admitted that being a single mother was hard, and it had been especially hard at the beginning. It had been chaotic, but she'd also wanted to freeze time. Kelly was a miracle, and she wanted to be worthy of her daughter. Steffy conveyed that she couldn't pick up the child without buckling in pain or reach for a toy without wanting to scream. She'd tried to hide it because she didn't want to scare her daughter.
Steffy told Finn that he had the power to help her. He could call in one more prescription for her and help her to get back to being the best mother for her daughter.
At Spencer, Justin and Bill joked about Justin's workload. Bill figured it was fine because Justin's personal life was on "dry dock." Justin quipped that Bill's was, too -- unless there was something Bill wasn't saying. Bill thought Justin was trying to ask about Katie, but Justin actually was trying to ask about Brooke, who was still hung up on Ridge. Justin asked what Bill would do about it.
"Yeah, I'd like to know that, too," Ridge said as he entered Bill's office. Ridge warned that they'd have a problem if Bill decided to make another play for Brooke.
Justin advised Ridge not to drop by unannounced. Ridge accused Bill of being the reason that Steffy was in pain after Bill had mowed her down with his car. Bill didn't think even Ridge was ignorant enough to believe that. Bill regretted the accident.
Ridge asked if Bill regretted kissing Ridge's wife and the impact it had had on families. Bill reasoned that he cared about Brooke, and evidently, he cared a lot more than Ridge, who'd made her his ex-wife after that "Vegas drive-through" wedding. "'I'll have burgers, fries, and a marriage certificate,'" Bill derided Ridge.
Justin had a person waiting in his office and asked if it was okay to leave Ridge and Bill alone. Ridge quipped that they were safe without helicopters around. Justin left, and Bill said that unless Ridge was there to hem Bill's pants, Ridge had two minutes to speak his mind.
Ridge acknowledged that he'd heard Bill's declaration of love to Brooke. Bill replied that Ridge had also heard Brooke say she'd always love Bill. "Always. Deal with it," Bill added. Ridge called Bill delusional, but Bill called Ridge a hypocrite for trying to run roughshod over Brooke's life while married to another woman. "I care about her," Ridge replied.
Bill advised Ridge that the best thing he could do for Brooke was focus on his showgirl wife and let Brooke get on with her life. Ridge said Bill was nuts to think Ridge would let Brooke move on with Bill, who was toxic to any woman who cared about him. Before leaving, Ridge asserted that, married or not, he'd always protect Brooke from guys like Bill.
In Brooke's cabin, the frustrated Hope ended a call and said it had been Donna, checking in again -- after taking the kids to the beach without permission. Liam ascertained that Donna was on her way back with them. He guessed the trip had been a reward for finishing their big art project and said there was no harm done.
Hope contended that Kelly would be home even later, which Steffy wouldn't like. Liam agreed. He planned to call Steffy to explain and said that Hope was right that Steffy would be better off once Kelly was back in her arms. He wasn't a fan of Steffy being alone. Hope reminded him that was with her doctor, and Liam rendered Hope a long gaze.
Brooke arrived. She asked how the kids were. Hope glared in response, and Liam said Donna should be back with them soon. Sensing tension, Brooke asked if everything was okay.
Later, Hope and Liam had filled Brooke in on Steffy's feelings about Hope not taking Kelly straight home. Hope admitted that she should have called to ask Steffy if Kelly could stay instead of showing up at Steffy's house without the child, but Hope hadn't expected Steffy's reaction. Liam said Hope wasn't trying to keep Kelly from Steffy.
"Obviously not, but that's apparently how she feels," Hope replied. Brooke assumed that Steffy would come to understand what had really happened. Hope hoped so, but seeing Steffy in pain had broken Hope's heart.
Brooke asked if Steffy was still taking medication or if she had been in contact with her doctor. Hope explained that the doctor had shown up to check on Steffy, and Hope had wanted to let him know that everyone was worried about her. "But Steffy was having none of that," Hope concluded. Brooke asked what that meant and if Hope suspected that there was something more going on there.
Realizing that Brooke had a lot going on, too, Liam asked how Brooke was. Brooke said some days she wanted to crawl back into bed and forget the world or go into a sugar coma with a plate of cookies. What had happened between her and Ridge had been painful and shocking. "And I just wish...Well, you both know what I wish," Brooke wistfully stated. She didn't want them to worry about her. She was just happy that they had a healthy family.
Brooke left, and Liam figured that Hope was still worried about her mother. Hope was but said that her mother was right about them and their family. Hope had never felt so blessed and at peace. She felt bad for what Steffy was going through. Hope vowed that they'd be there to help Steffy get through it. Liam replied that Steffy was too strong not to get through it.
Hope asked if she'd said that she was thankful for Liam. To her, he was an amazing husband. He chuckled. She also thought he was an incredible father. She loved their life together, and she loved Liam very much. She said she always would.
At the cliff house, Steffy explained to Finn that she couldn't be the mother she needed to be while in such pain. She implored him to refill her prescription once more. Finn was sorry because, as much as he wanted to help her, that wasn't the way. Steffy seemed to be almost in tears from his refusal and her actual back pain.
Grimacing, Steffy begged Finn. She said her daughter would be home soon. She asked what good she'd be to the child. Finn questioned what good Steffy would be if she were overly reliant on pills. He empathized and knew of other patients who'd felt that the pain had taken over their lives. Steffy identified with the feeling.
Finn knew that it was scary, but he warned her that opioids could cause addiction even when taken properly. It didn't always happen, but because it was a possibility, doctors had to closely monitor their patients. He was concerned that she was becoming increasingly reliant. Steffy told him that she didn't need a lecture. She needed one more refill.
Finn stated that once that refill was done, they'd have the same talk again. "That's not true," Steffy uttered. Steffy was flippant about it, but guessing that she knew about the opioid crisis, he insisted that she understand what was happening to her. Steffy understood that she was in pain, and the pills kept her from being in pain.
Finn explained that the pills blocked the pain, but the problem was the chemical reaction that occurred in the brain's reward center. It was the same reaction the brain had to intense pleasure. The dopamine release could become greater than the one the brain released from eating pleasurable food or having sex. The pills mandated that the brain repeat the release over and over again.
Steffy asked if Finn was saying he thought she had a problem and if he thought she was addicted. Claiming he hadn't said that, Finn expressed that he was concerned. Hunching over as if in pain, Steffy stated her concern that she'd never be rid of the pain. He insisted that she'd get her life back. He felt that she was in more than physical pain, and he urged her to open up to someone. "A father, a brother, a friend, me," he suggested.
Steffy asked if Finn would really listen and care. He replied that he already did. She didn't know where to begin, and he suggested that she start with her complicated relationship with Hope. Steffy said that, for a time, she'd thought Hope and Liam's baby had been hers, and she'd been raising the child as her own. Finn was surprised to hear it.
Steffy said they'd all been taken advantage of. She had believed it had been a private adoption and hadn't known the baby had been Beth. Steffy had fallen in love with the baby, but when the truth had surfaced, she'd had to give the baby to Hope and Liam. Finn was sorry to hear about that.
Steffy told Finn that she'd named the baby Phoebe after her sister who'd died in a car accident and that part of Steffy had died with her sister. She'd managed to move on, though. She reminded him that he'd said everyone went through challenging times. He stated that taking pills to cope with it wasn't the answer.
Finn asked about Steffy's mother. Steffy told him that Taylor lived in Paris, but they were still close. Steffy asked if he'd believe that Taylor had fallen in love with Ridge only to lose him to Hope's mother. Steffy asked if Finn saw the pattern there. Finn asked if it was why Taylor had gone and if it had been too painful for Taylor.
Nodding, Steffy indicated that there had been a lot of loss in her family. She apologized for telling him stuff he didn't want to hear. Finn did want to hear it, and it meant a lot that she trusted him. She affirmed that she did. Finn was glad because he needed her to hear him.
Finn stated that Steffy was dealing with physical and emotional pain. He could see it when she looked at the picture on the wall. Steffy rolled her eyes in denial. He told her that he wasn't saying she was a lovesick woman pining over a man, but she was a mother mourning the loss of her family.
Finn received a notification and said he needed to leave to check on a patient. He wrote something on a pad. She thought it was her refill order. Finn replied that it was a different kind of medicine. It was his direct line. He wanted her to reach out to him for help at any time, day or night.
Finn left, and Steffy smiled, gazing at his number on the pad.
Zoe modeled a blue gown for Ridge, who offered comments on what the garment needed to make it perfect. Ridge told Zoe that he was not one for gossip, but he was glad that Zoe and Carter were dating. Katie dropped by to talk to Ridge about marketing ideas for the fall campaign. As she did, Zoe quietly left. Katie continued chattering on about billboard buys on Sunset Boulevard and in Times Square before Ridge interrupted and asked her how she was doing.
"I was blindsided, too," Ridge offered. Ceding that it sounded crazy, Katie admitted that she had been happy with her life with Bill. "We were living together as a family, and he ruined it -- again!" Katie exclaimed. Katie paused for a moment and marveled at how things had changed so quickly. She and Bill were no longer together, Brooke and Ridge had split, and Ridge and Shauna were married.
"You're usually a guy who thinks things through," Katie quipped. "Are you sure this isn't some sort of midlife crisis? You couldn't have just bought a sportscar like any other man?" Ridge fought a grin as he replied, "I was thinking of buying a yacht, and then just last week, someone said, 'Yachts don't love you back.'" Katie probed Ridge's response, asking Ridge if Shauna loved him -- and if he loved Shauna. Ridge responded to every question with a question of his own. When Katie noted what Ridge was doing, Ridge became irritated. Katie pressed on, telling Ridge that she knew that the only man her sister truly loved was him.
Ridge questioned why Brooke couldn't commit to him and why she couldn't be faithful to him. Katie continued to defend Brooke, but Ridge continued to push back with counterarguments about Brooke's questionable decisions. "Are you really going to honor this drunken marriage that you don't even remember?" Katie asked.
At the Forrester mansion, Brooke gazed up at Quinn's portrait above the fireplace. Eric entered the room and thanked Brooke for agreeing to meet with him. Brooke admitted that she was surprised by the invitation. While mostly avoiding looking Brooke in the eye, Eric said that he'd hate for the animosity between Brooke and Quinn to come between him and Brooke. Brooke replied, "I would never let Quinn come between us. You mean too much to me." Brooke followed that up with a remark that she didn't really feel "entirely comfortable" in the Forrester mansion.
Eric admitted that he'd timed his invitation because he'd known that Quinn would be out of the house. Brooke was surprised when Eric told her that he had not given up on her and Ridge as a couple, and he urged Brooke to not give up, either. Brooke wondered if Ridge's interest in Shauna was some sort of punishment or if Ridge might truly have feelings for Shauna. "Only Ridge can answer that," Eric responded. Eric then urged Brooke to "rise above the past" and focus on the love that she and Ridge had for each other.
Brooke remarked that Quinn would be livid if she knew that Eric was encouraging Brooke to fight for Ridge. Eric stated that he and Brooke would probably never see Quinn in the same light. He again urged Brooke to "keep fighting" for what she wanted.
Quinn sat on a sofa, fiddling with no less than three pairs of oversized sunglasses. With a smile, Quinn asked Shauna how many pairs of sunglasses she could possibly need. "Well, I am living in Beverly Hills, so I do have to look chic," Shauna replied with a laugh. Shauna turned more serious as she marveled at the fact that she was living a life of luxury. Quinn agreed that "money [had] never meant much to either one of" them, but she commented that Shauna would be happy "living in a shack somewhere." Shauna nodded, a broad smile forming on her face, and added that she'd be happy anywhere, as long as she had adoring husband with her.
"You and I come from the same humble circumstances," Quinn replied, elaborating, "Busting our tails to make ends meet." Shauna said it was nice to have a partner by her side. Shauna gathered herself and asked Quinn if, as a new Mrs. Forrester, she'd be allowed to wear ripped jeans and swear. Quinn laughed and told Shauna not to change; Ridge had fallen in love with Shauna for being Shauna. Shauna worried that Ridge marrying her under less-than-honest circumstances could come back to bite her.
Quinn urged Shauna to forget what had happened in Las Vegas. Shauna explained that she'd try to forget her chicanery, but she wondered if Ridge would feel the same way about her if he knew the truth. Quinn vowed that no one would ever find out about what they'd done.
At Forrester Creations, Eric showed up at work and found Katie toiling away on her computer. The two briefly discussed the Brooke/Bill kiss and how it had shattered Katie's life. Katie shut down the conversation by saying that Bill was the last thing that she wanted to talk about. "Bill who?" Eric asked. Katie told Eric that she'd just had a chat with Ridge. Eric seemed taken aback when Katie indicated that she and Eric probably had very similar thoughts when it came to Brooke and Ridge.
Back at the Forrester mansion, shortly after Eric had left, Ridge returned to the mansion. As Brooke and Ridge talked, Quinn secretly listened in from the upstairs balcony. Ridge asked how he and Brooke always seemed to end up at the same place. Brooke looked up at Quinn's portrait and muttered, "Ask her." Brooke said that Quinn and Shauna had done everything they could to come between her and Ridge.
Ridge objected to Brooke's statement, but Brooke continued. She reminded Ridge that Shauna had taken the video of Brooke and Bill's kiss and that Quinn had uploaded the video to the digital picture frame. Upstairs, Quinn fidgeted nervously and reached for her phone. She placed a call and told the person on the other end that they needed to get to the Forrester mansion immediately. "You were manipulated once again," Brooke grumbled, admitting that she had no real proof to back up her claim.
Brooke said that it was same feeling that she'd had when Stephanie had interfered in Brooke and Ridge's love life. Brooke called Ridge's marriage to Shauna "wrong." However, since Ridge and Shauna were married, Brooke wondered if that was where their story ended. "The man that I love and the man that I will always love is standing right in front of me," Brooke said softly. "And the woman that you love and will always love is standing right in front of you, Ridge. And it certainly isn't Shauna." Brooke extended her hand to Ridge and asked Ridge to go home with her.
At Spencer, Shauna arrived with a gift for Wyatt. He was ecstatic that she'd brought her famous homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. She'd made them to thank Wyatt for helping Flo be in a really good place. Wyatt thought it was sweet and said Flo made him happy. Shauna asked if Sally were causing any problems, and he reported that he hadn't spoken to her at all.
Shauna received an alert that she had a voicemail from Quinn, who Shauna noted was also happy about Wyatt and Flo. Wyatt figured that Shauna had a lot more to be happy about those days than Flo's life. Shauna said she was still pinching herself. She and Quinn had never imagined that they'd both be married into a famous fashion family.
Shauna's alert sounded again, and Wyatt and Shauna joked that she shouldn't keep her stepmother-in-law waiting. She checked her voicemail. She said Quinn wanted to see her, but it wasn't urgent. Wyatt noted that Quinn either really liked someone or really hated them, and it was good that Shauna was on Quinn's friend list. "Oh, don't I know it," Shauna responded.
At Forrester, Eric was surprised by Katie's feelings about Ridge and Brooke. Katie said that, despite what had gone on with Bill and Brooke -- and Brooke's proclivity for self-sabotage, Katie still believed that Brooke and Ridge should be and would be together. "It's called destiny for a reason, right?" Katie figured.
Eric asked if Bill and Katie could recover from their issues. Katie felt that she and Bill co-parented well for Will's sake, "but as a couple..." Sighing, she added that it was different for Ridge and Brooke. Katie still believed in them despite it all. Eric did, too, and she asked if that caused problems for him at home. Eric assumed she meant with Quinn.
Katie revealed her knowledge of Quinn's support for Shauna and Ridge. Eric explained that Quinn rooted for her best friend. Katie thought antics like uploading that video were beyond "cheerleading." Agreeing, Eric believed that Quinn had learned her lesson and knew that he expected better of her in the future. He was sure Quinn wouldn't get in the way if Ridge wanted to go back to Brooke. Katie rendered a skeptical expression.
Katie said it might sound crazy; however, she knew Bill adored her. It just wasn't enough. He still wanted Brooke. Eric assumed that she'd walked out on Bill after overhearing him say he'd always want Brooke. Katie said it was too much, and she'd ended it. Eric could see Katie wasn't sure that it had been the right call.
Katie didn't know. She felt that she and Bill were confused. She said they'd always be a family, but she couldn't be sure what the future of their family looked like.
Katie decided to take off for her lunch with Donna. Eric asked what the look on Katie's face was about. Katie recalled that he and Donna had made a sweet couple. "Do you ever..." Katie asked. He claimed to be a happily married man. Katie told him to "never mind" because it wasn't her place. Eric stated that Katie had a right to her feelings about Quinn; however, Quinn was his wife, and they had a connection he couldn't explain.
Having been in a relationship with a man most didn't like, Katie claimed to get it. She was glad she'd learned about the kiss, but she wasn't fond of how Quinn had handled it. Katie didn't trust Quinn, and Katie wouldn't put it past Quinn to do anything and everything to keep Brooke and Ridge apart. "Yeah," Eric solemnly agreed.
At Eric's house, Brooke was in the living room, telling Ridge that he knew he wanted a life with his Logan, and his marriage to Shauna was a sham. At the top of the stairs, Quinn called someone and ordered him to get there quickly because Brooke had Quinn really worried.
Ridge told Brooke that he'd been ready to annul the marriage. He'd wanted to go back to her, but hearing her say that she'd always love Bill had been too much. "Well, a part of me does," Brooke responded, and he threw his hands up.
Continuing, Brooke said that a part of Ridge would always love Shauna, whom he'd gone so far as to marry. In Brooke's view, it didn't mean anything. She didn't want to hear that the slurred vows had meant anything to him. She couldn't believe that they had, and she couldn't stand the thought of him with Shauna.
Quinn strode down the stairs, saying that she couldn't stand the thought of Brooke being in Quinn's house. Brooke said that she and Ridge were in the middle of something. Quinn was offended that Brooke expected Quinn to leave her own house. Quinn said it wasn't just her house; it was Ridge's house, too. It was the house he shared with his wife, and Brooke needed to start respecting that. Quinn wouldn't let Brooke undermine Shauna's marriage.
Brooke thought that was rich from the woman who'd spent her life undermining Brooke's marriage. Quinn berated Brooke for kissing the man Ridge abhorred and asked if Brooke had ever taken his feelings into account. Brooke asked Ridge not to listen to Quinn. Quinn asked Ridge if he bought Brooke's crocodile tears after Brooke's kiss and conversation with Bill.
Quinn asked why Brooke always ran to Bill at the first sign of trouble in her marriage to Ridge. Quinn said Brooke did it each and every time, but Ridge didn't have to put up with it. He had a woman who understood commitment and didn't run around behind his back with a man like Bill Spencer. Again, Brooke asked Ridge not to listen to Quinn.
Quinn persisted, saying Ridge knew what it was like to be with Brooke, never knowing when to expect her to have her hands and lips all over Bill. Just then, Bill arrived. "Brooke, are you -- " he started to say. He saw Brooke with Quinn and Ridge and asked if Brooke was okay. In everyone's silence, he asked what was going on.
Ridge wasn't surprised that Bill had shown up. Guessing that Quinn was right about how life with Brooke would be, Ridge said he couldn't do it anymore. Ridge walked out of the house. Brooke lashed out at Bill for not staying away. She claimed that Ridge had been thisclose to having Shauna pack her bags before Bill had arrived.
Quinn snickered. Brooke asked what Quinn was smiling about. Declaring that her life with Ridge wasn't over, Brooke stormed out of the house. Alone with Quinn, Bill said she'd had to contact him and make it sound as if Brooke had been in trouble. Quinn reasoned that it had been true; Brooke had almost reunited with Ridge, and Quinn and Bill didn't want that.
Bill accused Quinn of using him, but she saw them as working together. Bill said he'd rather stick a knife in his eye. Quinn urged him to go after Brooke, who'd easily hop into bed with him. Bill ordered Quinn to shut up. It was pathetic to him that she was doing all of it so that her loser friend would stay married to Ridge.
Quinn didn't want Bill calling her friend a loser. "She is a loser, a trashy, gold-digging loser. Two peas in a pod," he decided. Quinn demanded that he swallow his pride and follow the plan. Bill replied that there was no plan, not with her. He didn't "give a damn" if she was Wyatt's mother. Bill warned that he'd bury her if she involved him in her BS again.
Shauna arrived as the fuming Bill exited. Shauna had gotten Quinn's message about the paint color for Ridge and Shauna's room. In all the excitement, Quinn had forgotten she'd sent that message. Shauna assumed there was excitement with Bill. Quinn said there would be if he wasn't such an idiot who only listened to his ego.
Quinn stated that there were more important things to talk about than paint, and they had to do with a "Valley slut" whom they'd love to get rid of. Quinn explained that Brooke had tried to plead her case with Ridge to get him back. Shauna asked how he'd responded. Quinn had gauged Ridge as vulnerable. Shauna didn't know how he couldn't be due to the history involved.
Quinn believed that Ridge was learning from it. She'd given him a refresher course by causing him to see Bill and Brooke in the same room again. Ridge had been livid, and Quinn doubted he wanted to go down that road again. Shauna said that Brooke was persuasive. Quinn ranted that Brooke was relentless, even when so clearly wrong, and they had to stop her.
Shauna wished there was a way. Quinn insisted that they could do it. Quinn knew how to put the final stake through Brooke and Ridge's destiny and bury it so they'd never have to worry about it ever again.
In the design office, Eric walked in and found Ridge in a grumpy mood. Ridge didn't want to talk about it, but Eric thought it might make Ridge feel better. Eric pressed to learn what had happened. Ridge mumbled that it shouldn't be that way. Instead, he and Brooke should be married and growing old together.
Eric reasoned that Ridge and Brooke still could. Ridge revealed that they couldn't, and Brooke had just tried to convince him. Assuming she'd failed, Eric wondered what had happened. Ridge complained about Bill walking in. He said Bill always walked in, and he kept taking things from Ridge, over and over. Ridge couldn't do it anymore. He hated Bill. He hated Bill "so much."
In the design office, Ridge told his father how "big bad Bill" had shown up at the house. Eric asked how Brooke had reacted, but Ridge said he hadn't stuck around to find out. Eric figured that Brooke had been just as mortified as Ridge about it. Ridge complained that every time he and Brooke tried to figure something out, Bill was in the middle, driving them apart.
Eric said Brooke knew how Ridge felt about Bill. Ridge replied that Bill wouldn't be in her life if that was the case. Eric claimed that Bill was married to Katie and was part of Brooke's family. Ridge contended that Bill had broken up that family. Eric advised Ridge not to let his hate for Bill break apart Ridge's family.
Eric stated that Brooke wanted Ridge back. Grinning, Ridge said Eric should have heard her. She'd been passionate and sincere; however, Quinn had mentioned Bill, and like clockwork, Bill had arrived minutes later. Ridge had left to avoid doing something that would land him in prison.
Eric asked if Ridge didn't get that Brooke could be with Bill if she wanted to be. Eric reminded Ridge that he was "married to Shauna, for God's sake." Eric saw nothing keeping Brooke from moving on with her life except her love for Ridge. Eric advised his son not to give Bill power over things. Eric could see that Ridge still loved Brooke. Eric just hated that his wife couldn't see it.
At the mansion, Quinn was in the living room when she received a video call from Shauna, who was standing outside the building where she had an appointment. She'd wanted to check on Quinn, who'd been upset about Brooke earlier. Quinn was determined to put an end to Brooke's interference in Quinn and Shauna's marriages once and for all.
Shauna asked what Quinn was suggesting. Quinn said there would be a wedding. Shauna asked whose wedding it would be. "Yours," Quinn responded. Shauna asked if that was Quinn's plan to stop Brooke once and for all. Quinn asked if Shauna had thought Quinn would want to eliminate Brooke permanently. Seeing the skeptical look on Shauna's face, Quinn said she'd dreamed of eradicating Brooke, but Quinn wasn't that person anymore.
Shauna agreed but didn't see how another wedding would get Brooke out of the picture. Quinn said Shauna needed to have a wedding in front of friends and family. It would be one that Ridge would remember and one that Brooke would respect. Quinn believed that his agreement to it would signal to Brooke that he was no longer hers and would always be Shauna's.
Quinn knew how guilty Shauna felt about the way the wedding had happened in Vegas. Shauna was still unable to believe she'd let Quinn talk her into what they'd done, but she'd been swept up in Ridge's words and a fantasy of a future with him. Shauna didn't want to have any more tricks. She felt that what she had with Ridge was too important.
A bell rang. Shauna told someone she'd be right there. Quinn urged Shauna to tell Ridge that it was what she wanted. Quinn planned to put Brooke in the front row, so she could watch him pledge his love to Shauna. There was no way their destiny would survive that.
Quinn ended her call as Ridge arrived. She told him that she and Shauna had just been talking about him. Quinn didn't want to spoil the surprise, "but what the hell? It's so exciting." Quinn stated that his wife had a proposition for him. Ridge asked what was going on.
Quinn conveyed that she and Shauna had been talking about the surreal wedding in Vegas. Quinn sensed Shauna was making it out to be more romantic than it had been. Quinn couldn't imagine that it could be any girl's dream wedding. Ridge didn't think so, either, but he wanted to know what Quinn was getting at.
Quinn asked if it would be great if everyone they knew could be a part of it. She thought they should do it right there. Ridge asked if she wanted to have a party. She said it would be a ceremony with friends and family.
In Ridge's silence, Quinn asked if the patient Shauna deserved a real wedding with attendants, rings, vows, and a dress. It would be a beautiful wedding that no one would forget. Quinn told Ridge that Shauna never asked for anything. She asked if he'd give Shauna that gift, so the whole world could see Mr. and Mrs. Forrester.
In the CEO's office, Donna unpacked lunch on the conference table, but the upset Brooke didn't have an appetite. She said she and Ridge had been "so close"; she'd been able to feel it. She'd tried to talk to him, and she'd been getting through to him until Quinn had shown up.
Katie arrived and immediately sensed that she and Brooke had been set up to have lunch together. Donna knew she'd been sneaky, but she loved her sisters. She wanted them to face each other and work through their issues. Brooke had no problem apologizing as many times as it took. She loved her sister and did not want Bill.
Katie believed Brooke. Brooke was surprised to hear it. Donna said they were Logans and didn't turn their backs on each other. Donna hoped that Katie could forgive Brooke and put it behind them. Katie's dilemma was that the man Katie loved was in love with Brooke. Brooke insisted that Bill loved Katie, and she asked Katie to give him another chance. Katie replied that Brooke didn't get to have an opinion about it after putting Katie in such a position. Brooke apologized again.
Katie didn't want Brooke to be sorry and didn't want Donna brokering peace between them. Katie knew that everyone wanted things to go back to normal, but they couldn't because she saw how drawn Bill was to Brooke. Brooke insisted that she'd only ever love Ridge. Katie was sure the couple would reunite, and Brooke said it could happen for Katie and Bill, too.
Brooke revealed that she and Ridge had almost had a breakthrough. Donna added that Quinn had interfered again. Katie asked what Quinn had done. Brooke didn't want to talk about it. She wanted to focus on Katie and the distance between them. Katie stated that Quinn had derailed Katie's family; therefore, Katie needed to know if she was up to something else.
Brooke told Katie that Quinn claimed to be trying to protect her friend's marriage, but Ridge didn't really love Shauna. Ridge had just ended up with her the same way he had that drunken night at "the Bikini." Brooke sensed manipulation. Donna asked if Ridge felt it.
Brooke said that Ridge trusted Shauna, and Eric trusted Quinn. Brooke was trying to restore Ridge's faith in her, but Quinn had used Ridge's anger for Bill against Brooke. Brooke described what had happened at Eric's house earlier with herself, Bill, Ridge, and Quinn.
"I'm sorry. Bill showed up at Eric's?" Katie asked. Brooke explained that Bill had just run in there as if he'd belonged there. The second Ridge had seen Bill, Ridge had run right out of there. Brooke said Quinn had been just loving it. Brooke believed Quinn would do anything she could to keep Brooke from Ridge and prop up that drunken marriage.
At Spencer, Bill strode into his office and roared at Wyatt for sitting in Bill's chair. "My desk! My office! My world!" Bill yelled, and Wyatt asked what Bill's problem was. "Your meddling bitch of a mother is my problem," Bill responded. Wyatt hoped there wasn't another video, and Bill quipped that she'd gone for a live performance that time.
Bill wished he'd never answered his phone. He considered himself the smartest person in the room, but in one moment of idiocy, Quinn had dragged him into her plan. Wyatt asked what plan his father was talking about, and Bill said it was the plan to knife Brooke's heart.
Bill told Wyatt about the distress call Quinn had made on Brooke's behalf, but Brooke hadn't been in trouble at all. She'd been begging Ridge to take her back. Wyatt figured that his mother hadn't been able to let that happen. Bill said that with one look at him, that poser hadn't wanted to hear anything else from Brooke. Wyatt stated that Shauna was Quinn's best friend.
"'Shauna is her best friend,'' Bill mockingly repeated and declared that Shauna was Quinn's only friend. He stated that Quinn wasn't just interfering in Brooke's life. She was also interfering in his life while he was trying to figure things out for himself, Katie, and Will. Bill refused to let that battle-axe, lunatic mother of Wyatt's mess with Bill's family. Bill knew he'd screwed up, but he wasn't prepared to lose Will and Katie.
Wyatt believed that the best way to not lose Katie and Will was to stop running to Brooke's rescue. Bill said he'd told Wyatt that Quinn had made it sound as if Brooke had been in trouble. Wyatt quipped that as much as he loved Quinn, he'd have to check outside before he'd believe her word that it was raining.
Bill tried to work, but Wyatt insisted that Bill talk about his feelings. Bill yelled that he was confused enough as it was without Quinn making things worse. Wyatt had always thought Bill was the most decisive man Wyatt knew. Bill admitted that he wasn't when it came to the Brooke/Katie situation. Wyatt noted that it was Bill's own fault. Pointing to the window, Bill threatened to make Wyatt take the Daddy Express downstairs.
Wyatt didn't get that Bill wanted Brooke back but was afraid of losing Katie. Bill admitted that he loved both women the same, but he'd built a life with Katie. They'd been through a lot. No one had had a more positive or profound impact upon him than Katie.
