Sally reminisces about the past year with Darla.

Thorne and Darla return to their beach house after a New Year's Eve walk on the beach. Since Alexandria is asleep, they decide to take advantage of the time alone and start to kiss. But then Sally wheels in, noisemaker in hand and ready to party. Thorne pours some champagne for the three of them and proposes a toast to the new year being better than last year. Sally frets that she's getting in their way, like a third wheel, but Darla assures Sally that she's family and is welcome there. Sally reminisces about the old days, where she could drink anyone under the table; she frets that those days are over since she ran her company into the ground. Thorne reminds her that she didn't do that alone, just as she's not alone now. Sally thinks the champagne must be getting to her, so she shares one last wish for a "Happy New Year" with Thorne and Darla and heads off to bed.

Thorne tells Darla how lucky Sally and he are to have her in their lives.

Alone, Thorne and Darla go out to the patio. Darla thinks about what Sally said and tells Thorne that they have to do something to make Sally feel more useful. Kissing his wife, Thorne notes how hard it is to get past Sally's tough exterior. That's why he thinks Sally is lucky to have Darla in his life, and he thinks he's just as lucky. Darla wishes everyone could be happy on New Years Eve.

Stephanie boasts that Ridge and Taylor's marriage is solid.

Brooke is surprised to find Stephanie still at work, not at home with Felicia on New Years Eve. Felicia was tired and went to bed early, Stephanie says. So that leaves Stephanie here alone, with nothing to celebrate, Brooke surmises. Not quite, Stephanie says; while she admits she had her share of setbacks this year, she's pleased to celebrate having Taylor back, especially since that means Brooke isn't with Ridge, or any of the other Forrester men for that matter. Brooke says that Ridge is the only Forrester man Stephanie even cares about. And his marriage to Taylor is so solid, Stephanie brags, that not even Brooke can come between them. Brooke reminds Stephanie that she and Ridge have a son. And that's as far as their connection will go, Stephanie says. She says that Ridge has no use for Brooke with someone like Taylor in his life. Brooke asks Stephanie how she could be so evil that she would want Ridge's son to grow up without a father. Eric walks in and listens as Stephanie brags that she's earned the right to celebrate pushing Brooke out of the family, after all Brooke has done to her. She's glad her son is with a woman who makes him happy, and not someone who keeps changing destinies like Brooke. Eric finally speaks up and tells both of them, "That's enough!" Brooke tells him that she was just leaving.

Eric asks Stephanie to end her animosity toward Brooke.

Eric asks Stephanie why she can't let go of her animosity toward Brooke, for the sakes of Ridge, Bridget and the company. Stephanie may own the company, he says, but Brooke is still part of its success. Stephanie tells him that he'll have to do better to get her to accept Brooke in her family. She has to protect her family. From what? Eric asks, pointing out that Brooke is no threat and is building a new life for herself. Stephanie's just glad that Brooke's new life isn't with either of her sons. She's quite pleased that Taylor and Ridge are probably toasting the new year together right now. If they are, Eric says, they're doing it long distance, since Ridge postponed his flight back. A frantic Stephanie can't believe it: Taylor needs her husband, she frets. Eric tells her that Ridge called Taylor, who said she is OK with this. Of course she would say that, Stephanie says, so as not to worry Ridge. She can't understand how her son couldn't take the company jet back home for a few days and then return to Europe after the holidays. Eric asks if there's something going on that he doesn't know about. Only the obvious, Stephanie says, reminding him that everyone has a breaking point. He asks if she's talking about their relationship; she says she gave up expecting anything from him long ago. However, she fears that Taylor might just reach her breaking point if Ridge screws this up!

Hector thinks Taylor deserves better.

And speaking of Taylor, she is still at home, where Hector holds her in his arms. Hector says that he knows how important it was for her to have Ridge home for New Years. He had business to tend to, a tearful Taylor says. Hector says that she deserves better, and he's not just talking about tonight. He asks her for the chance to give her a better life, but she reminds him that she loves her husband. The question, Hector says, is if her husband loves her. Taylor says he does. Then why isn't he here where he belongs? Hector asks. He bets Taylor would move heaven and earth to be with Ridge; Taylor tells him that she did, even fighting death to get back to her family, yet Ridge still only does the bare minimum. Hector takes out his badge and shows it to Taylor as a symbol of his commitment to make a difference. He thinks she does the same thing without a badge, but how long can she do it without support from her husband? Taylor agrees that it shouldn't be so hard, especially since Ridge knew she didn't want to be alone tonight. Hector says she doesn't have to be alone and asks her to let him stay. She says she can't; going upstairs, she asks him to please show himself out. Hector, however, follows her up.

The front door of the Bel Air mansion opens, and Brooke wheels RJ inside in a stroller. She calls out for Ridge and Taylor, but no one answers. Brooke is a bit surprised, since Ridge asked her to bring RJ over tonight. She sees the dinner table that Taylor set up and tells RJ that Taylor must have planned a special evening for Ridge. She calls out again, but no one answers, so she tells RJ that she's going to check upstairs.

Taylor has gotten undressed and is about to climb into bed when she sees Hector in the doorway. He says that he couldn't leave her this way. The lingerie clad Taylor grabs a wrap to cover up and says that she thought he left. He says that couldn't leave her here, alone and unhappy, just like he couldn't leave her alone when Ridge abandoned her at the press conference. He asks her how many times she's going to let Ridge disappoint her before she realizes that Ridge will never be the man she wants him to be. She has no answer. Hector puts his arms around her and holds her. Just then, they hear Brooke coming up the stairs, calling out for Ridge and Taylor! A panicked Taylor sends Taylor into the bathroom to hide, just in time for Brooke to enter the room.

Taylor asks Brooke what she's doing, barging into her house and her bedroom. Brooke tells her that Ridge asked her to bring RJ over. Taylor tells her about Ridge's change of plans. Brooke guesses that Taylor must be disappointed, but Taylor says she's fine. Brooke doesn't think she would be so forgiving and guesses that Stephanie was right about Taylor being a saint. Taylor says she's fine about it, since she had work to do anyway. Brooke says she doesn't know how Taylor does it and asks Taylor not to be too hard on Ridge; after all, he had to go to Europe to clean up his mother's mess. Taylor says that she won't discuss business with Brooke while in her underwear in her bedroom, so she asks Brooke to leave. Brooke agrees, but she thinks Taylor should lock the door if she's here by herself in her underwear. She leaves, leaving Taylor alone until Hector comes out of the bathroom.

Brooke is stunned by what she sees.

Brooke goes back downstairs to RJ and tells him that Daddy's not home, so they'll have to come back. As she turns the stroller around to leave, Brooke accidentally knocks Hector's badge and ID to the floor. Brooke picks the ID wallet up and sees Hector's badge and ID. She wonders what it's doing here. Looking upstairs, she starts to get an idea why Taylor wanted to be alone.