Tuesday, December 18, 2007, Episode #5210

Ridge asks Eric to check on Stephanie.

As she and Eric decorate the Christmas tree she brought, Donna recalls how Storm made everything perfect for the holidays while she was growing up. She tells Eric how Storm would borrow his buddy's truck to take them to the mountains to cut down a tree, and then they'd return home and trim the tree with common household items. They didn't have much, but Storm did everything he could to keep them from thinking about how Stephen abandoned them. Eric tells her that his family always put their differences aside at Christmas time. Donna asks if he's talked with his family about holiday plans yet; he thinks it would be good for Stephanie to have everyone over to the house for Christmas. Donna admires his desire to bring holiday cheer to his family and thinks he deserves some Christmas cheer of his own, so she tells him to wait here and she'll be right back. While Donna is in the bedroom, Ridge arrives and tells Eric that he's worried about Stephanie. He explains that he offered to help decorate the Christmas tree, but his mother refused to let him, so he asks Eric if he can go over to the house and talk to Stephanie. Eric thinks that's a good idea, so he offers to go now and asks Ridge to tell Donna where he went when she comes back in.

Donna asks Ridge to think of his father's happiness.

When Donna returns, she's wearing a skimpy, sexy Santa suit and is ready to go over her "list" with her naughty boy. She walks over to the sofa, ready to sit on Eric's lap, so she's shocked when she throws herself down and sees that it's Ridge! "Well, ho-ho-ho," a bemused Ridge quips. After Ridge explains where Eric went, Donna reminds him that Stephanie's not the only one facing a rough holiday season this year. Ridge asks if she really wants to go there. Donna tells Ridge that she knows he's worried about his mother, but she just wishes that he would be half as concerned about his father's happiness. Ridge says that he respects Eric's choices, but he doesn't necessarily agree with them, and he honestly doesn't think that Donna can make his dad happy. Donna says that she already has. "But will it last," Ridge wonders, "or will he look back one day and wonder what happened to his life?"

Stephanie cancels Christmas at her house this year.

At the Forrester mansion, Stephanie gets frustrated as she tries to decorate her tree. "What the hell am I doing this for?" she sighs. Soon after, Eric arrives and knocks at the door. Stephanie lets him in, reminding him that he still has a key. Eric explains that he didn't want to startle her. He's about to help her start decorating the tree with her when two men walk in and remove the tree from the room. Eric asks what's going on; Stephanie explains that she donated the tree to the homeless shelter, because it seemed like too much effort to celebrate Christmas this year. Eric points out she'll disappoint the grandkids if she doesn't have a tree; Stephanie explains that all the work involved in planning Christmas is just too exhausting, so she's decided not to have the family over for Christmas this year. Eric encourages her to enlist help from their kids if the work is too much for her, since he's sure Felicia will agree to play hostess this year to let her mother have time to relax. Stephanie asks if he'll have moved back in here by Christmas; Eric tells her not to put this on him, because he knows how much she loves Christmas. "No, YOU love Christmas," she counters, stating that she only celebrated the holiday because she knew how much it meant to him. "I'd do anything to make you happy," she asserts, putting forth that the holiday celebrations were her gift to him and the children. "When I shared it with you," she states, "it meant something."

Eric tries to talk Stephanie out of canceling the holiday.

Eric implores Stephanie not to make him the scrooge by abandoning all their holiday traditions just because he's not living here. Stephanie states that she's not doing this to punish him or the kids, but Eric fumes that she's canceling Christmas. Seeing how much a family Christmas means to him, Stephanie suggests that he take everyone up to Big Bear for the holidays. She's sure they'll have a wonderful time there while she stays here by herself. Eric asks if he can talk her out of this, but Stephanie refuses to change her mind. She bids him good night and Merry Christmas, hoping that Santa brings him everything he wants this year.

Brooke shares her suspicions with Katie.

Brooke returns home after her visit to the police station, wondering if Storm could have shot Stephanie. "There has to be another explanation," she tells herself. When the door opens, Brooke thinks it's Ridge, but she sees that it's Katie. As lightning flashes outside, Brooke shares her suspicions that Storm could have shot Stephanie with her sister; neither of them sees Storm lurking outside on the terrace. Katie can't believe that Brooke thinks their big brother shot Stephanie and set their dad up to take the fall, so Brooke shows her the photo of Storm in his yearbook, where he's wearing a ring just like the one their father wears. Katie says that she's never seen Storm wear a ring like that; Brooke explains how Storm wears it around his neck as a symbol of their dad's betrayal, informing Katie about the letter Storm sent their father before the water polo championships. She realizes now how disappointed Storm was when their father didn't show up for that match. Katie guesses that Storm got over it, but Brooke isn't as sure. Katie refuses to even consider that Brooke might be right; she knows everyone in their family hates Stephanie for what she did to Brooke and to Donna, but she also knows that Storm would never take the law into his own hands. Brooke suggests that Storm felt shut out when their dad came back to town, since Storm protected them all his life, and that might have driven him to take the gun from her desk, shoot Stephanie and lay the blame on their father.

Katie can't believe that Brooke's allegations might be true.

"This is crazy," Katie asserts, but Brooke thinks they have no choice but to confront Storm and ask him. Katie advises against that, but before Brooke can answer, Storm comes in. He sees that the power is still out and asks if everything is OK, especially since he thought Brooke would be in bed by now. Brooke says that she was too nervous to sleep, especially with the kids at Thorne's and with Ridge visiting his mother. Storm tells her that he'd be glad to stick around if she needs company, but Brooke thinks she'll be fine now that Katie is here. Storm asks Brooke where she went; when Brooke won't answer, he accuses her of lying. Katie suggests that Brooke go to bed, since everything will be clearer in the morning, but Storm insists on first knowing what they were talking about. "Nothing important," Brooke and Katie both answer, but Storm is skeptical. Brooke informs Storm that she told Katie about the class ring he wears around his neck, but Storm doesn't see why it would be a big deal that he wears the ring around his neck. Katie suggests again that they call it a night and tells Storm that she and Brooke will be fine. Storm says he'll take his yearbook and as he goes to grab it, he sees the photo of the shooter's hand that Brooke got from Charlie Baker. He asks Brooke where the photo came from.