Monday, June 23, 2008, Episode #5339

Steffy wants to get to know Marcus better.

Sitting outside Bikini Beach, Marcus and Steffy are about to kiss, but Steffy pulls away, saying that she wants to know him better first. She admits that she knows a few things about him, but she wants him to tell her something she doesn't know yet. He tells her that it wasn't his idea to keep her granddad in the dark, but she says she already guessed that, so he tells her to ask him anything. Steffy warns that his being so open won't make her forget how he and his mother are lying to her granddad and advises that secrets have a way of coming out in this family, usually in the worst possible way. Marcus tells her that he doesn't like lying, either, but he wants to get to know his mother before getting thrown into some big Forrester family drama. Steffy doesn't want to mess things up for him and his mom, but she bets that finding out that Donna has a son will blow the family away. Marcus reminds her that she was the one who snuck a peek in his backpack. Steffy tells him that she thought he might be a spy, but now she knows he's just part of a typical family drama. Joking about the notion that he might have been a spy, Marcus says that he might have created a new persona for himself, since people come to L.A. to reinvent themselves. "What if I like the persona you have?" Steffy asks.

Marcus hopes he won't have to keep his secret much longer.

Getting serious, Marcus concedes that he's putting her in a bind by asking her to keep his secret. Steffy confides that it's a bit weird keeping a secret from her dad, but Marcus hopes she won't have to keep it much longer. Steffy understands what he's going through, since she missed out on time with her mom when she was a kid, and it took a while for them to pick up where they left off. She thinks it will also take time for him to sort things out with his mom, since he just met her. Marcus asks why the rest of her family can't be that understanding. Steffy says they are, but Marcus is skeptical. Steffy predicts that her family will understand and that they won't blame him when the truth comes out. Marcus tells her that he doesn't want them blaming Donna, either - or her, for that matter.

Phoebe is stunned by what she overhears.

Phoebe arrives at Bikini Beach and comes outside. Looking around, she spots her sister sitting on the beach talking with Marcus and listens in on their conversation. Marcus tells Steffy that he appreciates what she's doing, but he doesn't want to bring this down on her. Steffy tells him that she won't blow this for him and his mom, and she assures him that when the time is right, her granddad will find out that he's Donna's son. Having overheard the big secret, Phoebe is shocked!

Donna isn't ready to tell Eric about Marcus.

Meanwhile, Brooke and Donna are visiting Katie and talking about Marcus. Brooke and Katie think Donna should tell Eric about Marcus, but Donna wants a bit more time for the Forresters to be charmed by her son. Brooke points out that waiting could backfire, but Donna isn't ready to tell Eric yet. After Katie advises her to tell Eric before he hears it from someone else, Donna asks Brooke if she told Ridge. Brooke says she hasn't, but it's been hard, since she and Ridge promised not to keep secrets from each other. She's thrilled to know about Marcus and wants to get to know him, but she doesn't know if she can under these circumstances. Katie adds that she'd hate to see Donna and Eric's marriage jeopardized by this secret. Donna thanks her sisters for being so understanding and tells them that she wants to share this with Eric, their dad and especially their mom, since Beth helped take care of her when she was pregnant. She suggests that they fly Beth here from Paris to tell her, but Katie doesn't think their mom will want to come given the icy reception she got when she called Beth the other day. Donna thinks Katie must have misunderstood, but Katie assures her that their mom hung up on her. She can't understand why their mother didn't visit or even call during her recent ordeal and wonders if Beth blames her for Storm's death.

Brooke tries to reassure Katie.

Brooke assures Katie that their mom doesn't blame her and thinks there has to some other explanation for Beth being so distant. Donna agrees and wonders if Beth felt guilty about the fact that Stephen was here when she wasn't. She suggests that Katie try to call their mom again, but Katie doesn't see the point, since their mother was obviously uncomfortable talking to her. She doesn't understand why their mom doesn't want to see her. Brooke tells Katie that she doesn't know why their mother hasn't come home, but she wants Katie to know that she and Donna are here for her, so she's not alone. Katie is grateful for their support, especially since their mom can't give her support right now for whatever reason. She wonders if Beth is having trouble coming to terms with what Storm did to save her life, but Brooke doesn't think that's it. Katie says that whatever the reason is, she'll just have to deal with it. Maybe it's too much for Beth to see her right now, but she's sure their mom will come around and come home in time.

Nick urges Beth to come back to L.A. with him.

In her apartment, Beth gazes at the photo of a young Katie as Nick tells her that Katie needs her. Beth scoffs that there's nothing she can do. "You can be there to help her face this. It's your job," Nick counters. Beth asks Nick not to berate her, since what happened to her family was a shock. And Katie is still recovering from that with support from her sisters, Nick advises, but she needs her mother now. Beth thinks she'll be in the way, but Nick disagrees. Beth asks if Katie is still living with Brooke. Nick informs her that Katie has been living with him and Bridget since the transplant. Beth is surprised to learn that Nick and Brooke aren't together anymore. (Has Beth been out of touch with her daughters for that long? It's been over a year and a half since Brooke and Nick split.) Nick tells her that he and Brooke are still close, and in fact he's close to all her daughters. That's how he knows how much Katie wants to be with her mother. He tells Beth that he'll keep Stephen out of the picture if she's uncomfortable with being around her ex, and he can arrange for her to be alone with her daughters if that's what she needs. Whatever issues she has, he's sure he can take care of them, so he urges her to come home with him. Beth says that this is her home, but Nick says this is just where she lives, while her home is in L.A. with her daughters. "Your little girl wants her mother," he states. Beth reluctantly gives in and says she'll come once she clears her schedule, but Nick tells her to just pack a bag and let him handle the rest.