Monday, December 17, 2007, Episode #5209

Ridge checks on his mother.

Stephanie calls Eric to make sure he got to his hotel in the storm. Eric replies that he barely got wet, but Stephanie can't say the same for the poor man who just delivered her Christmas tree. Eric laughs that she had a Christmas tree delivered at this hour. Stephanie guesses that the man had trouble getting to her in the storm and wishes Eric could have stayed to help trim the tree. Eric warns her not to overexert herself decorating and suggests she ask the kids to come over to help. Stephanie bids him goodnight and hangs up just as Ridge arrives. She asks Ridge why he came by so late. He tells her that he wanted to check on her, since he heard there was flooding in the area. Stephanie is glad he still cares and invites him to have a drink.

Stephanie frets that the holidays won't be the same without Eric.

Ridge sees the tree and offers to help with it, but Stephanie laments that all the decorations in the world won't correct the mistakes she's made. Ridge assures her that he knows she never set out to intentionally hurt anyone, including Brooke. While he can never forget the damage she caused, almost losing her has allowed him to forgive her. Stephanie thanks him and just wishes Eric could see how she's changed. Ridge then gives her some paper ornaments that Hope and R.J. made at school. Stephanie thinks they're adorable, but they also remind her of happy times during past holidays. She doesn't know if she can make it through the holidays without Eric, since he was the reason she held the family together. Ridge reminds her that miracles come during the holidays and advises her to hope for a holiday miracle of her own.

Donna senses that something is bothering Eric.

Eric is pleased when Donna stops by his hotel room and asks where she's been. Donna tells him about Storm's birthday party and her visit with her dad in jail. She starts to cry as she insists that her dad is innocent, even though she knows Eric doesn't believe that. She just wishes she could somehow learn who really shot Stephanie. Eric assures her that he's there for her. Donna thanks him and tells him to close his eyes, since she has a surprise that will cheer him up. Eric closes his eyes and waits for Donna to give the word; when Donna tells him to open his eyes, he sees that she brought him a small tabletop Christmas tree. Eric seems underwhelmed; Donna takes his lack of enthusiasm to mean that something's wrong. Eric assures her that he's fine and thanks her for the gift. Donna still senses something wrong, so Eric tells her about his earlier visit with Stephanie, who just called to make sure he got back OK in the rain. He tells Donna that Stephanie just had her Christmas tree delivered, which leads Donna to fret that the trees he's used to are much grander than the little guy she brought. Eric agrees and recalls trimming the tree with his family each year. Donna laments that he and Stephanie had all these traditions, but Eric tells her that he looks forward to starting new traditions with her. Still, he's torn between being with her and being with his family over the holidays, and he can't help but realize that someone will be hurt, no matter what he does. Donna tells him that everything will fall into place if he follows his heart.

Eric remembers Christmases past: click here to see his memories.

After Ridge leaves, Stephanie sorts through Christmas decorations and finds a stocking with Eric's name on it. That sparks a flurry of memories of Christmases past with Stephanie - a series of recollections that Eric shares in his hotel room. Donna gives him a kiss that brings him back to reality. She tells him how good it feels to be alone with him. Eric is glad she's happy. Donna tells him that she didn't know what happiness was until she fell in love with him, since she always feels calm when she's in his arms. She tells him that he's her oasis, and she always finds peace with him. Eric is glad to hear that and embraces her.

Storm opens up to Brooke.

As the storm rages on outside, Brooke insists to Storm that she doesn't think he's capable of murder. She tells Storm that she'd like to go to bed, but he can tell she still has doubts and tells her to come out and ask him if he shot Stephanie and framed their dad for the crime. Brooke says that she can't do that, since she could never even imagine him picking up a gun and shooting someone. Storm is glad to hear that, since he saw the worried look on her face. Brooke says that she was just upset after he told her how their dad disappointed him by not showing up for his championship match. She knows he's always had issues with their father, but she's been impressed by how focused he's been on their dad since Stephen was arrested. She asks if she can see his class ring. He hands it to her, pointing out that it's the same as their dad's, except the year is 1982 instead of 1962. He points to the stones indicating his being on the water polo and swim teams, just like their dad, with his name - Stephen - engraved on it, because their mom wouldn't let him have "Storm" engraved. Brooke asks why he doesn't wear it on his finger now, especially since he's getting along with their dad now. Storm thanks her for the suggestion but decides to keep his ring on a chain. He thanks Brooke for believing in him as she always has. Brooke suggests that he get going, since Ridge will be home soon. Storm says he should get back to work on freeing their dad and cryptically promises, "Justice will be done." As Storm leaves, Brooke still looks uncertain.

Charlie Baker discusses the shooting with Brooke.

Brooke takes the photo of the shooter's hand out of her drawer and looks at the ring on the shooter's hand. She then heads over to the police station to talk to Detective Charlie Baker about Jake Maclaine's video. Charlie tries to play dumb, but Brooke isn't buying his act and says that she's not leaving until she sees that footage. Charlie takes out the video and reviews it with Brooke, who asks him to freeze on the frame right before the gun goes off. She then asks if they can zoom in on the hand. Charlie asks what she's trying to find; she tells him that she's trying to see if there are any signs that this isn't her dad's hand, since she thinks someone could be setting her father up. Charlie reminds her that all the evidence points to her dad, but Brooke notes that her dad having a ring like the one on the shooter's hand doesn't mean it must be her father's hand or ring. Charlie asks if she's spoken to her brother, since they found new evidence to support their theory; he explains that a team of experts compared a photo of her father's hand to the one in the video, and the measurements of Stephen's hand match those of the hand in the video.