Monday, December 08, 2008, Episode #5455

Ridge returns to the party with grim news.

At the Forrester mansion, Ridge and Brooke's guests continue to swing the night away. Talking with Katie, Brooke wonders what could be keeping Ridge, who went outside to call Phoebe. She hopes everything is OK. Across the room, Steffy doubles over in pain. As Marcus and Eric rush to help Steffy, a dissheveled Ridge enters the room, his face awash with grief. Everyone turns toward Ridge as he collapses to the floor, sobbing. Brooke rushes to his side and asks him what's wrong. As the others crowd around Ridge to find out what's wrong, Thomas looks at a pain-stricken Steffy and knows something is wrong.

Stephanie gives Taylor some assurance.

Taylor thanks Stephanie for being there for her tonight, assuming that Stephanie thought she'd be tempted by alcohol. Stephanie says she never considered that, but Taylor admits that her drinking hurt a lot of people, especially Phoebe. She promised herself it would never happen again, but then she got involved with Rick, Phoebe's first love, and she didn't realize how much that hurt Phoebe. Stephanie assures her that Phoebe loves her, confident that Taylor and Phoebe can work through their problems together. Taylor thanks Stephanie again and tells her to get going, as she doesn't want Stephanie to miss the song Phoebe wrote for Ridge. Stephanie wishes Taylor could be there to hear it, but Taylor says that Phoebe downloaded the song for her. Playing the song, Taylor sighs, "She has the voice of an angel." Stephanie agrees. As Taylor looks at a family photo, Stephanie assures her that she did everything she could. Taylor starts to voice some regrets, but he stops herself since she can't change what's in someone's heart. Stephanie again offers to stay, but Taylor shoos her off, assuring her friend that she'll be fine waiting for the kids to come home so they can go out and do something fun as they planned. She looks forward to spending time with all her kids, especially Phoebe, since she and Phoebe will finally get a second chance to make things right.

Thomas and Steffy console Ridge.

In the Forrester living room, a musical montage plays out as Ridge tells his family about Phoebe. No dialog is heard, but the shocked looks of anguish across the room speak volumes. As everyone is stricken with grief, Ridge holds Thomas and Steffy tightly. Thomas then storms out of the room. Ridge calls out for his eldest child to wait, but Thorne advises him to give Thomas some time. A bloodied Rick limps into the room and approaches Ridge. "I'm sorry. You'll never know how sorry I am," Rick whispers. Stunned, Ridge echoes, "You're sorry? You were driving the car. My daughter was with you. You swerved off the road into a ditch. Now she's dead. And you're sorry?!" Filled with grief and rage, Ridge lunges at Rick! As Thorne and Nick pull him off Rick, Ridge lashes out, calling Rick the "son of a bitch" who was at the wheel. Disgusted, he shouts, "Get him out of my sight!" As Brooke and Bridget lead Rick out to the deck, the others reel at the news that Rick was driving the car. Thomas, who returned while Ridge was lunging at Rick, joins his sister by Ridge's side and asks, "What about Mom? How do we tell her?" In reply, Ridge asks, "How do we tell a mother that her child is gone?" as he holds his sobbing children.

Rick tells Brooke what happened.

Out on the terrace, Bridget looks Rick over and advises him to get to the hospital for some stitches, but Rick says that he's fine as he weeps, "Oh, God, what have I done?" Bridget tells Rick that she loves him and walks off. Rick then sobs to his mom, "I never meant to hurt her." Brooke says that she knows. Rick cries that Phoebe was so angry with him as he explains what happened to his mother. He tells Brooke how Phoebe confronted him in his office about how he treated her parents, but he walked out on her to get to this party. He intended to drive off, but then Phoebe was in the car with him, lashing out at him all over again. While he was driving, Phoebe clawed at his face and grabbed the wheel, ordering him to pull over, but he wouldn't. So Phoebe tried to step on the brake, but her foot slipped onto the gas pedal instead, causing him to lose control of the car. He cries that this is all his fault, since he should never have left the parking lot with Phoebe so angry, but Brooke assures him that it was a horrible accident. Rick reminds her how everyone in that room looked at him when Ridge announced that he was behind the wheel. Brooke tells him that Ridge was in shock, but Rick continues to blame himself. Brooke tells him again that this is not his fault and is sure they can work this out once they talk to Ridge and explain what happened. She knows Rick loved Phoebe and would never do anything to hurt her.

Eric gives Stephanie the bad news.

Stephanie arrives at the mansion and finds the place empty. When Eric greets her, she asks where everyone is. Eric embraces her and tells her about Phoebe. Stunned, Stephanie refuses to believe it, insisting that it has to be a mistake, but Eric tells her that it's true and informs her that Phoebe died in Ridge's arms. Stephanie asks if Ridge was driving Phoebe here, but Eric tells her that Rick was driving the car. As Stephanie wonders why Phoebe was with Rick, Eric tells her that Ridge on his way to break the news to Taylor right now. Stephanie immediately worries about Taylor. Eric tells her that Thomas and Steffy are upstairs resring and wants to check on them, but he doesn't want to leave Stephanie alone. Stephanie tells him to go ahead and check on their grandkids. Alone in the room, Stephanie looks at a photo of Phoebe as she lets the news sink in.

Rick asks his mom how he could hurt Phoebe so badly.

Stephanie hears Rick talking to Brooke out on the terrace. "How could I hurt her like that?" a weeping Rick asks his mother. "Nobody's ever going to hurt her again, are they?" Stephanie asks as she steps out on the balcony. Glaring at Rick, she asks him to explain why he's alive while her granddaughter is dead.