Thursday, April 03, 2008, Episode #5282

Stephanie frets that Pam swapped Eric's pills.

In Eric's office, Stephanie tells Pam that she appreciates Pam's help, but she doesn't think switching Eric's pills was a good idea. "Sometimes you just have to accept that it's best to just walk away," Stephanie states. Unable to believe that her sister is giving up, Pam counters that she'll have to keep up the fight for Stephanie to get Eric back, although she agrees to tone it down a bit as Stephanie asked. Pam then hands Stephanie the key to Eric and Donna's love nest. Stephanie asks how Pam got it, but Pam doesn't think that matters and urges her sister to take the key and find Eric so she can "talk some sense into that under-stimulated libido of his."

Donna and Katie get interrupted.

And at the love nest, Donna keeps trying to wake Eric up, to no avail. Depressed, she puts her trench-coat on over her leopard print lingerie and leaves. After a quick stop to change clothes, she arrives at Forrester, where Pam asks how the "inspirational" lunch with Eric went. Donna tells Pam to shut up and storms into Eric's office, where Katie is leaving some papers for Eric. Seeing the glum look on her sister's face, Katie asks what's wrong. Donna sighs that she's starting to wonder if Stephanie is right that she's just not good enough for a man like Eric. Katie asks where Eric is, so Donna tells her about her plan to seduce Eric during their lunchtime rendezvous. "Before I was even finished, he fell asleep on me," Donna sulks. Outside, Pam stands by the door, gleefully giggling as she listens to Donna ask Katie if Eric might have suddenly lost interest in her. Katie tries to reassure her sister, but Donna worries that she just might not be the right woman to be the next Mrs. Eric Forrester. Katie tells her not to let her insecurities get the best of you. Just then, Pam comes in with some files for Eric and tells the girls that she couldn't help overhearing their little chat, since Donna left the door ajar when she came in. Donna fumes that Pam was eavesdropping, but Pam claims Donna's voices carries so well that she couldn't help but hear about Donna's latest little sex-capade - or rather, her ATTEMPTED little sex-capade.

Pam refuses to be intimidated by Donna's warning.

Donna tells Pam to butt out, but Pam contends that Donna is only nervous because she's finally starting to see the truth. Katie asks Pam to leave, since she and Donna have work to do. Like planning Donna's next seduction, Pam needles, suggesting that Donna is finally starting to see that she'll never be the Mrs. Eric Forrester. Donna warns that if she finds out Pam had anything to do with what happened today, Forrester will be saying adios to their in-house, crazy, old crone, Pam Douglas. Pam asks how she could have ruined Donna's little playdate. Donna fires back, "You can take your little lemon bars and your Prozac-pumped smile and the whole Suzy Homemaker freak show and get the hell out of dodge, because if you don't, a house might just fall on the Wicked Witch of the Midwest. In keeping with Donna's comment, Pam retorts, "I will get you, my pretty, me and my little dog, too," before leaving the office. Observing that Pam's a bit loony, Katie advises Donna not to get riled up over Pam. Donna is determined to do whatever it takes to stop Pam, even if it means playing dirty. "It's my turn to fight back!" she declares.

A surprised Eric wakes up and sees Stephanie.

At the love nest, Eric wakes up and calls out for Donna, but he finds Stephanie sitting by the edge of the bed. Eric asks what's going on. Stephanie says that she didn't come here to fight. She just came her to talk and find out if this is what Eric really wants. She knows he's attracted to Donna now, but she can't help but wonder what will happen when, as usual, the fun and games end. She doesn't want to badmouth Donna and only wants Eric to be happy, but she truly feels that she and not Donna is the woman who can make him happy, if he'll just open his eyes and see that. "Tell me that there's a chance that we can still save this marriage," she pleads. Eric asks where she's going with this, but Stephanie admits that she's not sure herself. She remembers lying in the hospital after she was shot, with Eric and the children around her. As corny as it sounds, her life flashed before her eyes at the moment, and she realized that Eric was always there for her, through the good times and the bad. Knowing how much Eric cared for her gave her strength, and she can't believe those feelings just went away. "I believe that there is still a chance for you and me," she professes, "and I just can't let that go."

Brooke disagrees with Ridge about her brother.

Brooke is still in Ridge's office, wondering what the big deal is that Storm went on a lunch date. The big deal, Ridge insists, is that Storm is a dangerous man who shot Ridge's mother and tried to frame his own father for the crime. Brooke reminds him that Storm is getting help, but Ridge argues that all the therapy in the world won't change what Storm did. Brooke asks Ridge why he can't forgive Storm when his mother could. Ridge counters that his mother doesn't want Storm working here and certainly wouldn't be happy to learn that Storm was dating someone here. He doesn't think anyone wants a repeat of what his mother went through, so he orders Brooke to tell Storm not to date anyone at Forrester. Brooke asks Ridge why he's treating Storm like a murderer. Because that's what he'd be if his plot succeeded, Ridge responds. "There's a storm brewing, and I don't want anybody I know to get caught up in it," he laments. Brooke accuses Ridge of blowing this out of proportion, but Ridge disagrees. He knows Brooke loves her brother and admires her loyalty, but he thinks Storm's actions have turned him into a dangerous man. Brooke gets his point but thinks Storm still deserves some happiness. Ridge tells her that he can't believe in her brother, even if she can, so he doesn't want anyone he cares about around Storm.

Ashley thanks Storm for lunch.

Meanwhile, Storm escorts Ashley back to the lab after lunch. Since they talked so much about personal stuff during lunch, Storm offers to stay and go over the legal stuff around the fragrance line now, but Ashley tells him that she has to get back to work. Not willing to be dissuaded, Storm tells her that there's still a lot about him that she doesn't know, so he's not giving up completely. He asks her to let him know if she needs any more legal advice about her projects. Ashley thanks him, stating that she has complete faith in him as an attorney. Storm hopes that this is also the beginning of a new friendship for both of them and leaves.

Storm is put off by what Brooke tells him.

Storm then goes to find Brooke to thank her for urging him to take Ashley had a great time. As Storm extols Ashley's good qualities, Backpedaling, Brooke says that she might have been a bit rash in suggesting he take Ashley out since he's still in therapy and suggests that he wait until he's better to pursue a relationship. Storm wonders why she's had a sudden change of heart. When Brooke is hesitant to answer, Storm knows something's up and tells her to spill it, so she tells him that Ridge has some concerns. Incensed, Storm fumes that Ridge is such an egomaniac that he wants Ashley available so he can have two women at his beck and call. Brooke tells him that it's not like that, since Ridge doesn't even know he was out with Ashley, and he can never find out, either. Seething about Ridge's "noble" attempts to protect others from him, Storm muses, "If he thinks I'm dangerous, maybe I should prove him right." Brooke tells him not to talk like that, but Storm is so incensed that Ridge, who has been given everything he needs in life by his daddy, would be so controlling and rushes out of the office. Brooke calls for him to wait, but Storm doesn't turn back.