Tuesday, February 12, 2008, Episode #5247

Storm tells his sisters that he wants to stay in L.A.

Brooke sends her kids off to school and reenters her house. As she walks toward the breakfast table to join her brother and sisters, she recalls Nick begging her not to marry Ridge. Once Brooke sits down, Katie asks where Ridge is. Brooke explains that Ridge left for work early this morning. Speaking of time, Storm realizes that he has to finish if he wants to make his therapy session. Donna and Katie ask how the therapy is going. Storm says it's going great. Katie tries to convince Storm to return to Europe to consult with the therapist that Stephen found in Paris, but Storm thinks he's making good progress with his therapist here and doesn't want to break the momentum. Donna asks Brooke to pass the hot sauce, but Brooke is distracted and needs to be reminded before she passes the hot sauce over. Storm tells his sisters that he doesn't want to leave them, since he feels like the four of them are reconnecting as a family. He's glad that his sisters have forgiven him, as he's having a hard time forgiving himself for what he did. When he says that he sometimes thinks he should confess to the police station , his sisters balk at the suggestion. Storm tells them that he values his freedom too much to do that, and besides, he thinks that his therapy has taught him how to relate to his dad - and amazingly enough, he owes it all to Stephanie.

Katie worries that Donna's deception could land Storm in jail.

After Storm leaves, Donna assures her sisters that Stephanie will never suspect that she's still seeing Eric, but Katie worries that Donna's going behind Stephanie's back is putting Storm's freedom in jeopardy. Donna explains that Eric will have to pretend that he wants his marriage back for a while, but he'll eventually leave Stephanie, and that will free him up to woo Donna back once he's free. Brooke overhears and tells Donna that it's not simple. Donna disagrees, but Brooke points out how easily she found Donna and Eric's secret love nest, and she suggests that Stephanie could find it just as easily. Katie chimes in that Stephanie will send Storm to jail if she suspects that Donna is still seeing Eric. Donna argues that she and Eric are being careful, so she's confident that they won't get caught. Besides, she thinks that with all the times Stephanie changed the story she told to the police, it's not likely that the police will take her seriously if she comes in and claims that Storm shot her. Katie, however, doesn't want to take that chance and declares that Storm will only be safe if Donna stops seeing Eric.

Donna assures her sisters that she's being careful.

Brooke agrees with Katie, since she knows all too well not to underestimate Stephanie, but Donna thinks that she and Eric are being too careful with their visits to their love nest to get caught. Katie suggests that Stephanie is bound to start wondering where Eric goes each afternoon. Donna asserts that Eric can always claim that he's visiting one of their clients off-site without Stephanie suspecting. Brooke and Katie ask Donna about her perfume and lipstick, but Donna explains that she doesn't wear any when she slips off to be with Eric. Katie believes that either Donna or Eric will mess up in some way and fears that it's too dangerous, at least until well after Eric has actually left Stephanie. Donna says that Katie doesn't know what she's asking, since she's never been in love like this. Brooke counters that she has been in love that way, so she understands how Donna feels, but she still thinks it's too risky. Brooke and Katie then head off for work, begging Donna once more not to mess this up.

Thorne and Felicia are pleased to see their parents back together.

At Forrester, Eric meets with Ridge, Thorne and Felicia, all of whom are pleased that their dad has come home to their mother. Thorne says he knows how Eric feels, having been involved with Donna himself, but he's glad to see his father back home where he belongs. Stephanie chimes in that she's glad to have Eric back home, but she knows that's just a first step, so she promises to do everything she can to win his heart back. Ridge asks Eric how things ended with Donna; Thorne and Felicia don't think that matters, but Eric is willing to answer and says that he finally found out that Donna was not the woman he thought she was. He recounts that Donna was sleeping with several men, attributing that to some kind of sexual addiction, but that made him see that Stephanie was right all along that Donna was little more than a "tramp from the valley." Now that he finally sees that, he's able to move on with his life.

Stephanie wonders where Eric is going.

After Thorne and Felicia leave, Ridge stays behind to discuss some design choices with his parents. As Ridge is explaining his choice of colors to Stephanie, Eric gets a call on his cell phone from Donna. Donna asks Eric if he can get away, since she needs to see him. She asks if they can meet at the love nest. Eric makes it sound like this is a call about business and tells Donna that he agrees completely, so he'll leave right away. Stephanie breaks away from her talk with Ridge and asks Eric where he's going. He tells her that something came up that he needs to take care of. He and Stephanie exchange "I love you's" and he leaves.

Ridge asks his mother if she really buys Eric's sudden about-face about Donna.

Alone with his mother, Ridge asks if she really buys Eric's sudden about-face about Donna. Stephanie says she isn't surprised at all that Eric left Donna, but Ridge cautions that he doesn't feel like Eric's heart in fully into this sudden reconciliation. Stephanie admits that it's doing to take time, because her marriage to Eric is long way from where it once was, and because Donna did such a job on Eric by humiliating him. But she's OK with taking her time, because she really feels that the love she and Eric have shared over the years will being them together in the end. "Be happy for us," she urges.

Brooke gets a warning from Stephanie.

Ridge and Stephanie are going over some more designs when Brooke comes in. Seeing that everyone else is already gone, she asks if she missed the entire meeting. Ridge tells her that she didn't miss much, since they spent most of the time talking about his parents reconciling. Ridge is needed in the cutting room, so he heads downstairs, leaving Brooke and Stephanie alone. Brooke turns to leave, but Stephanie asks her to wait a moment, since she has a question about Donna. She asks Brooke if Donna really intends to stay away from Eric. Brooke stammers that there is nothing to worry about now that Donna has left Eric. Stephanie admits she's pleased that Donna kept her end of the bargain, but she knows that the whole "sex addict" thing was a charade and that Donna still loves Eric. "That's why this is such a huge sacrifice," Brooke states, but Stephanie has no sympathy for Donna, who tried to get back at her through Eric. Brooke warns that now that Donna has lived up to her end of the bargain, whether or not Eric wants his marriage back is completely up to Stephanie. Stephanie says she knows that, which is why she doesn't want Donna interfering in any way, She cautions that if Donna doesn't keep holding up her end of the deal, Storm is going to jail.