Thursday, January 10, 2008, Episode #5224

Lt. Baker and Charlie question Stephanie's new information.

At the police station, Stephanie tells Lt. Baker and Charlie that she's been having memory flashes that confirm that Stephen Logan didn't shoot her. The Bakers are skeptical. Stephanie explains that her doctors claim that such flashes are common among trauma victims like her. The flashes aren't clear enough to reveal who shot her, but she's positive that it wasn't Stephen. Charlie asks how she knows that these flashes are actual memories. Stephanie tells the two detectives that she didn't come here to have a medical debate. She came here to do the right thing, because she can't let an innocent man go to jail. Lt. Baker still has reservations, so Stephanie suggests that they ask Stephen to take a lie detector test; given his protests of his innocence, she's sure Stephen would be happy to agree. Lt. Baker asks Stephanie if she's sure, since he'll have to bring the test results to the D.A. if they do a lie detector test. She replies that she's as sure about this as she's ever been about anything in her life.

Stephen is set free.

Brooke sits in her living room, recalling how she told Donna to leave Eric to keep Storm out of jail; she worries about how hard it will be for her sister to leave Eric. Later, she arrives at the police station and asks Stephanie what's going on. Stephanie motions to the door, where Lt. Baker and Charlie are leading Stephen into the room. Brooke races to her father and gives him a hug. The Bakers tell Brooke that they informed the D.A. that Stephanie wasn't going to testify, so the D.A. and the judge realized they had no choice but to set Stephen free. Stephen gives Brooke a hug and thanks her for believing in him and for making his release happen. Now that he's out, he promises to be the kind of father that Brooke and her siblings need. He tells Brooke he loves her, and she responds that she loves him, too. Stephen thanks her for forgetting the past for the good of the family, and he promises to set things right by finally taking the responsibility he should have taken years ago.

Brooke gets a call from Stephanie.

As she returns to her house with her father, Brooke gets a call on her cell phone. Stephen tells her to go ahead and take the call while he goes upstairs to shower. Brooke answers and finds an anxious Stephanie on the line; now that she's done her part in setting Stephen free, La Forrester expects Brooke and Donna to keep their end of the deal. Brooke assures Stephanie that they will, even though doing so will devastate Donna. Stephanie tells Brooke to accept the gift she's presented; she's given Brooke her family back, and all she wants in return is her own family, since that's best for everyone. "For everyone except Eric and Donna," Broke retorts. Stephanie insists that Eric and Donna's relationship would never last anyway, so it's better for Donna to end things before she breaks Eric's heart. Now that she's kept her end of the bargain, she wants Brooke to keep hers, or else Storm will wind up in jail. When Stephen comes downstairs, Brooke tells him not to feel guilty, because he didn't belong in prison. Neither does Storm, Stephen answers, and Donna is the one who is suffering for that. He thinks Stephanie is diabolical with her efforts to give him and Storm their freedom at the expense of Donna finally finding true love. Brooke agrees that it's bittersweet, but she doesn't want her dad blaming himself. She assures Stephen that Donna is stronger than any of them realize, so she's sure Donna will ultimately do the right thing.

Eric is surprised by Donna's confession.

At the cabin, Stephanie's directive to end things with Eric echoes in Donna's head. Eric asks Donna why she's so upset. Donna tells him that it's nothing, but Eric can see that something's going on and wants to know what it is. Donna tells him that this is too much for her. She didn't realize it until he proposed, but she's afraid she's going to blow this relationship. She laments that she always hurts the men she loves, but she doesn't want to hurt Eric. Eric senses that there's something she's not telling him and asks her to level with him. Fumbling for a response, Donna tells him that she's never been married because she's afraid of commitment, and the reason she's afraid is that she's been diagnosed with a problem: she's a sex addict. Eric asks Donna why she never told him about this. Donna sobs that she never expected to fall in love with him, but when she did, she thought she could control herself. Now she sees that she can't control the overwhelming desires she feels. Eric suggests that they can get help for her addiction and get through this together, but Donna doesn't want to drag him into the depth of her sordid life. She loves him, but the relationship just isn't working for her, which is why she thinks they both have to just accept that this relationship is over. "You deserve better than me," she weeps.

Donna pleads with Eric to understand about her problem.

Eric asks Donna where this is coming from. Donna doesn't want to talk about the horrible, shameful side of herself that she keeps hidden from him and from everyone else, and she concedes that Stephanie has been right all along by calling her a slut. Eric doesn't want to hear the woman he loves talk like that, because he knows that she's a beautiful, caring, compassionate woman. Donna insists that what she's saying is true, and she doesn't know how Eric can be with her knowing that she'll be with other men. Eric admits that he would not be able to tolerate her being with another man, but he also refuses to leave her. He promises that they can get help for her sexual addiction together. He agrees that he can't share her with another man, but her confession doesn't make him love her any less. In fact, her admission only makes him love her more, because she's trusted him with her deepest, darkest secrets, and now he can't bring himself to walk away from her. Donna pleads for him to accept that she's not worth it, but he believes that she IS so worth it, which is why he still intends to make her his wife. He understands that she's sick, but a married couple takes vows to stand by each other in sickness and in health, which is why he promises not to turn his back on her. They kiss, but Donna is still upset.