Friday, May 23, 2008, Episode #5318

Thorne and Ridge want their dad to step down.

Despite Brooke's objections, Ridge, Thorne and Felicia insist that Donna can't be part of their family business. Ridge asks Brooke what Donna brings to the table. Brooke says that Donna inspires Eric, but all the whining siblings see is a divisive woman who has torn their family apart and embarrassed their father by making him stand naked on window ledges. [Like none of them have ever torn the family apart? Yeah, right!] Ashley agrees, since she left Jabot and Genoa City behind when this same kind of infighting tore the Abbott family business apart. Felicia has had enough fighting. Thorne and Ridge think the best thing for everyone is to let Eric step down and let his children take control, and Ridge hopes Brooke can see that.

Eric asks Stephanie to talk to their children.

Eric calls Stephanie to his office to ask her to talk to their hypocritical children. He's been so pleased with her attitude since he married Donna, but their kids don't even want to give Donna a chance and keep treating her like an interloper who will bring scandal upon them. Eric is sure that won't happen, because he trusts his wife. Stephanie says she knows he does, and she's happy that he's happy, but she asks him to look at it from the children's side. Eric laments that his kids want his ex-wife by his side and don't want his wife there at all. Stephanie asks how he feels. Before he can answer, the kids, Brooke and Ashley come in. Ridge, Thorne and Felicia greet their mom, while Brooke goes over to stand beside Eric. Everyone asks Stephanie what brings her by. Eric tells them that he asked Stephanie to come talk to them about their attitudes about Donna. Ridge tells Eric that he, Thorne and Felicia have worked there most of their adult lives (does that include the years Felicia spent playing party girl in Europe?). Brooke has contributed, and so has Ashley. But none of them see where Donna might fit in, and more importantly, they don't know where they stand with their own father. They feel like his loyalties are divided, and they'll be even more so once he and Donna talk about having kids. Eric tells them that he and Donna haven't discussed children, but he thinks it's obvious that he won't be having any more kids. He then tells them that he's sorry they don't like his new wife, but he intends for Donna to be part of what he's built here.

Felicia, Ashley and Stephanie weigh in.

Ridge, Thorne and Felicia stand firm. They won't make room at the top for someone they don't like, especially if that person has little experience. Thorne tells Eric to take a trip around the world with Donna and reap the rewards of his amazing career. Ashley tells Eric that her dad enjoyed a new marriage before he died, even though she and her siblings didn't think much of his wife. Looking back, she's glad her dad and his wife had that time. [And that's a hypocritical understatement. Or did Ashley forget that she and Jack had this very battle with their dad over his wife Gloria when John wanted Gloria to be part of Jabot?] Stephanie is stunned that her children and Ashley are suggesting that Eric should be put out to pasture. Ridge lays it on the line: he, Thorne and Felicia have paid their dues. He's been Eric's heir apparent and has driven this company's collections for years. While he's not discounting Eric's contributions, it's time for a chance. Eric is furious that his kids want to pack him up to some "old designers' home, with Ridge acting as the young gun ready to take charge. The siblings stand united. They want to work with their dad, but not with Donna. He can't have it both ways, and they think he should be the one to walk away.

Brooke says she's not going anywhere.

Stephanie reminds her children that Eric owns this company outright now. That may be true, the children concede, but could this company survive if they left? Stephanie asks if they would really leave. Ridge says they would. Eric asks Ashley how she feels. Ashley says that she loves working with him, but she has doubts about Donna. Eric then looks to Brooke, who says she's not going anywhere. She's earned her place here, and she spent too many years here fighting unnecessary battles. She won't let her sister experience that same kind of dirty politics. Ridge tells Eric that they just want him to ride off into the sunset, but Eric has no intention of letting that happen. He loves and trusts his wife, so he's willing to make a deal. "If Donna brings shame down on this family or this company," he vows, "I will step aside. I trust my wife that much."

Marcus has questions for Donna.

At the Marone mansion, Katie sits and watches as Donna and Marcus are reunited. Marcus tells her how long he searched for her. He spoke to dozens of Donna Logans, and he was about to end his search after getting nowhere, but then he read about a Donna Logan marrying Eric Forrester and came her to L.A. Sobbing and laughing at the same time, Donna tells Marcus how much it tore her apart to give him away. She always wondered about him, especially on his birthday, July 9. Each year, she'd wake up at sunrise that day and wonder what happened to her little boy. Marcus is touched that she would remember his birthday every year. Donna tells him that she has so many questions, but Marcus says he has one for her: if she thought about him all the time, why did she give him up? Donna explains that she couldn't be with his father, and she was too young to raise a child. Marcus asks about his father, but Donna says that she doesn't even know where he is now. Marcus asks f he's hearing right: she and his father had a kid together, but neither of them wanted a baby. Donna insists that his father doesn't even know about him, but that didn't stop her from thinking about him over the years. She asks about his adoptive parents, but Marcus only wants to talk about why she gave him away!