Tuesday, March 27, 2007, Episode #5025

Rick is ashamed of all the lying and hiding he has to do to see Phoebe.
At 3 in the morning in Sydney, Rick drops by Phoebe's room. As they kiss, Phoebe suggests they order room service and watch a movie. Rick reminds her that her dad is next door sleeping. Phoebe tells him that her dad is a sound sleeper, but then they hear the phone ring in the other room; Rick wonders who would be calling Ridge at 3 AM. Phoebe reminds him that it's morning back in L.A., but Rick worries that someone might have seen him slip in here. Phoebe suggests he hide in the bathroom if her dad comes knocking, but Rick is ashamed of all the lying and hiding he has to do to see Phoebe. Phoebe assures him that she'll think of something. Rick points out that they keep saying that, but Phoebe refuses to let their parents end their relationship before it starts. They bid each other "good-night" and Rick leaves.

Ridge doesn't like what Brooke is implying.
Next door, Ridge talks to Stephanie, who tells him about Taylor's engagement to Nick and asks what he intends to do about it. Ridge says there isn't much he could do to run Taylor's life, especially when he's already preoccupied watching out for his 18-year-old daughter. He's worried that things have gotten worse with the Aussies seeing the Internet photos of Rick and Phoebe, and with Amber marrying that Aussie back in the U.S. Stephanie tells him to either order Brooke to rein in Rick or ship Rick home. With Brooke lying asleep next to him, Ridge tells his mother that he's like to wring Rick's neck to keep him in line. Stephanie suggests that he just belt Rick one, blaming Brooke for letting things get this far. Ridge assures his mother that he's handling it and bids her "good-night." But as he hangs up the phone, he's stunned to see that Brooke is awake and overheard his comment about wringing Rick's neck. Brooke is livid at this latest expression of violence against her son and says it sounds like something Stephanie would say, as she should well know having been on the receiving end of Stephanie's violent wrath for years. Brooke knows Stephanie is probably frustrated about Taylor's engagement to Nick, but it scares her to think that Ridge is showing signs of sharing his mother's temper. Ridge argues that he's just protecting his daughter, but Brooke points out that Stephanie said the same thing about protecting him and wonders if Stephanie was emulating her abusive father. Ridge doesn't like that comparison. Seeing that they don't see eye to eye, Brooke suggests they go back to bed.

Stephanie lashes out.
Back in L.A., Pam and Ann join Eric and Stephanie at the mansion for breakfast. When Stephanie and her mother get into an argument over Stephanie's choice of huevos rancheros for breakfast - Pam chimes in that the dish disagreed with Ann last time she had it - Stephanie scolds Ann for acting like an ungracious guest in Stephanie's home. Ann asserts that she deserves some respect as Stephanie's mother, but Stephanie points out how Ann disrespected her by refusing to protect her years ago. Ann calls Stephanie a hypocrite, since she and Pam overheard Stephanie telling Ridge to belt someone as they came in. Angry at the accusation, Stephanie slams a juice glass down on the table, causing it to shatter! When Eric asks Stephanie what's wrong, she blames her mother's years of denial and neglect. Ann counters that she pities Stephanie's children for having such a savage and cruel mother. When Pam tries to step in, Stephanie suggests that her mother and sister pack their things and leave. Eric says that no one's going anywhere and tries to calm his wife while Pam takes Ann back to the guest house. Alone with his Stephanie, Eric acknowledges her years of abuse by her father. But at the same time, he points out that John Douglas is dead, and Eric refuses to have even threats of similar violence in his home or his family.

Eric refuses to accept Stephanie's violence in his family.
Stephanie tells Eric that he brought this on them by bringing her mother to L.A. and forcing Ann into their lives, since forgiveness isn't something that just happens overnight. Eric argues that she's letting her anger make her intolerable. Stephanie points out that she's never raised a hand to their children. But she has to Jackie and Brooke, Eric points out, accusing her of being as selective of her targets as her father. Stephanie fumes at the comparison, but Eric points out how her fits of violence are rubbing off on Ridge, to the point where Eric has to hear one of his sons threaten to kill another. Stephanie insists that Eric is blowing this out of proportion and claims that Ridge is just protecting his daughter, but Eric sees Ridge's badgering and bullying as something Ridge learned from her. He fears that soon, Ridge might break something unintentionally, just as Stephanie did with that juice glass earlier. He refuses to deny what's happening the way Ann did for years and orders Stephanie to stop stirring the pot now!

Phoebe makes some plans.
Phoebe sits in her hotel room by hr laptop, emailing Donna. Within minutes, she gets a call on her cell from Donna, who asks if things with Rick are as bad as they sounded in Phoebe's email. Phoebe points out that her dad constantly snaps at Rick, who just left her room a little while ago out of fear that someone might just catch him there. Donna is surprised that Rick was in Phoebe's room, but Phoebe insists she and Rick just wanted a little time alone to watch a movie. She then tells Donna to check the link to the hotel's web site in the email she just sent, pointing out that the hotel has a romantic honeymoon suite that Phoebe would love to spend time in with Rick. Then why not just book it? Donna asks. Phoebe points out that the hotel would call her dad to confirm the reservation. Not if someone from the office made them, Donna points out. After finding out from that Molly (who we saw helping Rick the day Ashley came to L.A.) made the travel arrangements, Donna makes some calls - and within minutes, she reports to Phoebe that "Molly" has just booked the honeymoon suite. The only thing she asks is that Phoebe keep her word that she and Rick not cross the line sexually. Phoebe promises not to. Donna points out that someone might notify Ridge when the invoice comes in, but Phoebe doesn't care; she's just grateful for Donna helping her and Rick get some time alone. After hanging up, Phoebe calls Rick and tells him that they're going to have some time alone. Rick asks how that can happen with her dad's watchdog driver sticking by them. Phoebe tells him to leave that to her and bids him good-night.

Brooke tells Ridge that she's worried.
Next door, Brooke and Ridge are back in bed. Brooke tosses and turns as a violent montage pf memories replays in her head. Ridge threatens to wring Rick's neck. Stephanie tries to kill Brooke at Big Bear by trying to strangle her after calling Brooke the whore of Beverly Hills. Ridge threatens to kill Rick if he ever crossed the line with Phoebe (which Brooke never actually saw, so it's a coincidence that her imagining what it was like matches exactly how it really was) and later lashes out at Rick at Big Bear. Stephanie tries to plunge a knife into Brooke at Big Bear. Stephanie wraps a feather boa tightly around Brooke's neck. Ridge confronts Nick, firing a rifle shot. Back in their bed, Ridge sees how agitated Brooke is and wakes her from her bad dream. Brooke tells him she's afraid for them. Ridge says she just had a nightmare, but Brooke tells him that the the way he grows angry and violently lashes out very much reminds her of his mother. She even saw the same angry look in his eyes that Stephanie gets when he was mad at Rick tonight. Ridge argues that they welcomed Rick back into their home, only to have Rick repay them by pursuing Phoebe, even after Ridge forbade it. Brooke asks how far he'll go to try and stop them. Ridge reminds her that he promised not to lay a hand on Rick, and he intends to live up to that promise. He knows how violent his mother is, but he refuses to believe that he's destined to become that way, too, especially since he won't let that happen. As far as he's concerned, his only destiny is to be with her. Brooke says she wants that too, but she never thought it would be this hard. Ridge holds her in an embrace and promises that things will get better after the wedding. They're almost there, he reminds Brooke, so he needs her to hold on.