Monday, February 18, 2008, Episode #5251

Hope and R.J. bring their Mommy a doggie bag.

Brooke and Katie anxiously wait at Brooke's house for word of Donna. They just hope Donna isn't jeopardizing Storm's freedom by being with Eric. Ridge arrives home with Hope and R.J. after taking them out to dinner. After the kids give their Mommy a doggie bag, Katie ushers them upstairs so Mommy and Daddy can have time alone. Once Katie has the kids upstairs, Ridge spots the worried look on Brooke's face and asks what's wrong. Brooke covers that she just wanted to thank him for being so patient while she was concerned about baby Jack recently. Ridge says that he was only fighting for their family to have the life they deserve. Brooke says she wants that, too, and kisses him.

Katie has some advice for Nick.

After putting the kids to bed, Katie rushes over to the Marone mansion and arrives just as Bridget is pulling away. When Nick hears the doorbell, he wonders if Bridget decided to stay after all, so he's surprised to find Brooke's baby sister there. Katie comes right out and tells Nick that he can't be part of Brooke's life anymore, since Brooke is committed to building a life and family with Ridge. Intrigued by Katie's being so forthright, Nick asks who the guy who hurt her so badly was and invites her to tell him more over dinner. Over a tasty chicken dinner with some wine, Nick continues to probe Katie about the guy who broke her heart, but she accuses him of trying to turn this around on her and gets back to the reason for her visit. She explains to Nick that she came here to ask him to leave Brooke alone and spend more time with Bridget instead. Nick asks why she's so concerned about Bridget. Once Katie reminds him that he shares a history with Bridget, Nick realizes that her attempts to reunite him and Bridget would oh so conveniently keep him away from Brooke.

Nick doesn't want to hurt Bridget again.

Katie tells Nick that she doesn't want him to substitute Bridget for Brooke. Nick tells her that he and Bridget shared a special bond, since they tried to get married three times before tying the knot and even tried to have a family. But that wasn't in the cards, and he fears he might hurt Bridget again if he revisits those feelings. Katie assures him that she doesn't want him to hurt Bridget, but she thinks this could be the perfect time for him to resume his relationship with Bridget, especially since Bridget has a connection with him and with Jack. She knows he and Brooke have been through a lot, but she wants to know if he's really in love with her sister. Nick says he'd rather keep that to himself. Katie thanks him for dinner and asks him to think about what she said tonight. She reminds him that things never ended well for him and Brooke when they tried to hook up, so she can't see why he'd want to go that route again. "Think about it," she tells him again as she leaves.

Brooke and Ridge decide to rediscover each other.

Ridge and Brooke go up to the bedroom, where Ridge tells her that he has something to tell her. While he doesn't want her to ever doubt his love and his desire to have the life they always dreamed about, he has to admit that the whole episode with Nick and Jack has taken its toll on them, and he thinks they both need some time to recover from that before they get married again. "I think it's time we rediscover each other," he suggests as he strokes her face and turns out the lights. He then sits down next to Brooke on the bed and starts to kiss her, and that leads to their making love.

Ridge tells Brooke that his mom is having his dad followed.

While basking in the afterglow, Brooke laughs that she could stay like this forever. Ridge agrees. When Brooke tells him that the whole world melts away for them when they're in each others' arms, Ridge retorts that he can think of two people who better not be in each others' arms right now: his father and Donna. Brooke doesn't see any reason to be concerned, since Donna told her that Eric broke things off between them, but Ridge tells her how his mother hired a private investigator to track Eric's every move. Trying to hide her fear that Stephanie has found Eric and Donna out, Brooke says that it's ridiculous that Stephanie hired a P.I. to trail Eric, but Ridge tells her that his mother got a call from the P.I. telling her that Eric is somewhere he shouldn't be right now.

Stephanie demands answers from Donna.

At the love nest, Stephanie pushes past Donna and tries to open the bathroom window to look for Eric. Out on the ledge, Eric stands pressed against the wall. Donna pleads with Stephanie to stop, but La Forrester insists on finding her husband and pulls the window open. But when Stephanie sticks her head out and looks around, Eric manages to stay out of her line of sight. When Stephanie says that Eric's not out there, a shocked Donna asks, "He's not?" Donna quickly changes gears and points out that she tried all along to tell Stephanie that Eric wasn't there and orders Stephanie to leave, but Stephanie informs her that she had a private investigator following Eric who tailed him to this very building, so she knows he was here. She then tells Donna how she figured out that Eric was cheating on her by counting his little blue pills. Donna is stunned that Eric would need any kind of enhancement in the bedroom, but Stephanie tells her to cut the B.S. and just tell her where Eric is. Donna claims that Eric did come by to give her a Valentine's Day present, but she lived up to their bargain and sent him away. When Stephanie doesn't believe her, Donna states that it's not her fault that Eric still loves her and doesn't want to be with his wife.

P.I. Rocky snaps photos of Eric.

As Eric waits out on the ledge for Stephanie to leave, Rocky the P.I. spots the fashion designer standing on the ledge in his birthday suit. Guessing that Stephanie must be there by now, he guesses that the fireworks are about to start. Rocky takes out a camera with a big telephoto lens and starts snapping photos of Eric, proclaiming that this is "strictly business." Meanwhile, Eric makes his way toward the bathroom window in the hopes that Stephanie will soon leave.

Donna orders Stephanie to leave.

Inside, Stephanie insists that she only wants a chance to win her husband back, but she can't have that chance if Donna is still chasing after Eric. Donna argues that Stephanie can't compete with her. Stephanie says that she's not trying to compete, but she warns that Storm will be headed for jail if she ever catches Donna with Eric. Donna states that there's nothing to catch, since she is playing by Stephanie's rules. Storm is free now and Eric is back home with Stephanie, who has the chance to get Eric to love her again. She orders Stephanie to leave before she has her thrown out, so Stephanie reluctantly leaves.

Eric and Donna think they fooled Stephanie.

Once Stephanie is gone, Donna races to the bathroom to help her "honey bear" climb back in the window. "I thought I lost you," she sighs, explaining that she feared Eric had fallen when Stephanie didn't see him outside. Eric asks if Stephanie is gone. When Donna states that she got rid of La Forrester, the two of them giddily embrace over the way they managed to pull this off and fool Stephanie. Donna proclaims that they're safe now, but Eric concurs that this will have to be their little secret, forever and ever. Meanwhile, Stephanie tries to call Eric's cell phone, hoping Donna didn't lie to her. "If you lied to me tonight," she vows, "it's the end of story for you and your brother." She then waits for Eric to answer the phone and wonders where he could be, not realizing that he's busily making love to Donna as they speak.