Thursday, December 27, 2007, Episode #5216

Storm urges Brooke not to beg Stephanie for mercy on his behalf.

Storm refuses to let Brooke beg Stephanie for mercy on his behalf. Brooke is sure she can get Stephanie to tell the police that their dad didn't shoot her without admitting who did, but Katie and Donna agree that Stephanie has no reason to do their family any favors. Storm repeats that he has to confess, but Brooke stands firm that he just felt abandoned by their father and made a mistake, one that their family can deal with in therapy. But they can't do that if he's in jail. Donna wishes it was that simple. Storm tries to appease Donna's anger. Katie suggests that he give Donna time, although she agrees that it's a mistake to put their family's fate in Stephanie's hands. Brooke reminds them that Stephanie owes her for sicking Andy Johnson on her, especially since Ridge won't tolerate another attempt to hurt her by his mother. And La Forrester even said at Christmas that she'd do anything to make amends, which makes this the perfect time in Brooke's mind to ask Stephanie to help their father. Katie and Donna remain skeptical, prompting Storm to reiterate that it's best for him to confess. Brooke tells him that he's been protecting her, Donna and Katie all his life, but he can't do that anymore. Now it's their turn to help him, because they owe and love him. She puts her arms around him and gives him a hug as their sisters look on.

Katie recalls how Storm was always there for the family.

After Brooke leaves, Donna thinks she should be going, too, but Katie asks her not to leave this way. Donna fumes that Storm framed their father and wonders if Katie would rather see their dad rot in jail for that than see their brother behind bars. Katie insists that's not the case. Even so, Donna feels like her siblings failed to consider how their little scheme would affect her and Eric or Brooke and Ridge. Katie tells Donna to stop thinking about herself for once and instead think about how hard it was for Storm growing up. She recalls how Storm always made everything OK for them, just like Brooke wants to do now - and everything will be OK if Brooke can just get through to Stephanie. Storm chimes in that Donna has every right to feel like she does. Katie defends him, recalling how he took a second job to get her braces, or to buy Donna the pretty dress she wanted for her eighth grade dance. Donna starts to soften, remembering how she cried when Storm gave her that dress. Storm laughs that he couldn't let her miss her first big school dance. And that's how it always was, Katie recollects: he always made sure they had the same as everyone else, even at personal sacrifice, and that made it easier for them to deal with their father's abandonment. But doing that caused him so much pain, and she can't help wondering why they never saw that.

Donna tells Storm that she's sorry.

Storm tells his sisters not to blame themselves for his screw-ups, since he's the one who let his anger towards their dad fester. He thought he could hold it inside, but then their dad came back, and his anger just pulled him in deeper and suffocated him. He's so sorry, even though he knows apologizing won't do anything to fix anything for Katie, or to make things easier for Donna and Eric. Donna tells him to stop. She sobs that Katie's right that he went through hell for them, so she should be thinking about him and not herself. He's still the same brother who bought her that dress, who taught her to slow dance and do trig, and most importantly, who held this family together. She's so sorry that she didn't realize that earlier, and that she wasn't a better sister. "I just wish you had better aim!" she jokes. Storm tells her to stop and gives her a comforting hug.

Bridget is put off by Stephanie's remark.

Bridget drops by the Forrester mansion to check on Stephanie. Ridge, who is there visiting, asks how the patient is doing. Bridget's pleased to see that Stephanie is healing nicely, although she still wants La Forrester to take it easy for now. Ridge hands Stephanie her pain pills, but she refuses to take them, since they make her feel dopey. She insist she can take aspirin for any discomfort. Ridge asks Bridget to talk some sense into his mother, but Bridget agrees that aspirin should be fine if the meds are too strong. Stephanie proposes that she can always vent her frustrations by throwing darts at a photograph of Stephen; when Bridget winces at that remark, Stephanie apologizes for forgetting that Stephen is Bridget's grandfather. It's just that she gets so frustrated that Stephen insists he's innocent when the evidence points to him, and she wishes the Logans would accept that he's guilty.

Ridge talks about Christmas with his mother and Bridget.

Bridget gets paged to the hospital, so she excuses herself to get back to work. Before she goes, she thanks Stephanie for being such a wonderful hostess during Christmas. Stephanie attests that having the family around for the holiday did her more good than any medicine. "Even if we did have to go behind your back to make it happen," Ridge quips. Stephanie admits that she was wrong about canceling Christmas, and it was wonderful having everyone over. She's especially pleased that Brooke did what was best for the family and came over with the children, since she knows how hard that was for Brooke. Speaking of Brooke, Stephanie informs Ridge and Bridget that Brooke called earlier and is on her way over, and she hopes that's a first step toward their reconciling. She thinks anything Brooke wants to talk about is fine, as long as it isn't about Stephen.

Brooke makes her request of Stephanie.

As she drives to the Forrester mansion, Brooke recalls Stephanie's promise over Christmas to do anything possible to help her. "If you truly want my forgiveness, Stephanie," Brooke tells herself, "you'll set my father free." When Brooke arrives at the mansion, Stephanie tells her that she just missed Ridge and Bridget and offers her some tea. Brooke says she's fine, and she hopes Stephanie is, too. Stephanie feels like Brooke really means that, even though she remembers times in the past when Brooke felt differently. She then thanks Brooke for coming over for Christmas, since she knows how hard that was for Brooke. She realizes that Brooke did it for Ridge and the children, but it meant a lot to her, too, which is why she'd like to renew her promise at Christmas to do anything in her power to help Brooke. Brooke says that's why she's here, since she does have something she needs. Stephanie tells her to just ask and she'll do it. She asks if this has anything to do with her battle with Donna over Eric. Brooke admits that she is worried about that, but what she has to ask has nothing to do with her sister, although it does have to do with family and forgiveness. Stephanie wonders what Brooke is getting at, so Brooke sighs, "I want you to show leniency concerning my father."