Monday, April 27, 2009, Episode #5550

Stephanie and Steffy tell Rick to take a hike.

Stephanie comes to the beach house to help Steffy pack. She says she would have packed Steffy's things for her so Steffy wouldn't have had to come there, but Steffy thinks she needed to do this. After Steffy goes to the bedroom to get a few things, Rick enters and is stunned to see Stephanie there. Stephanie orders him to leave Steffy alone, reminding him that she had predicted he would hurt Steffy. She fumes that he was so dead set on hurting Ridge that he broke Steffy's heart, but at least she's glad Steffy woke up and now has the chance to get over him. "Put that in your little pipe and smoke it," she proclaims. Rick admits that he hates what he said on that recording, but he never would have said them until Stephanie's pathetic little son provoked him, and he predicts that little stunt will wreak havoc on his mom's marriage. Steffy comes out of the bedroom and sees Rick. Rick tries to talk to her, but Steffy has nothing to say to him. Stephanie suggests that Rick leave, so he does. Once he's gone, Steffy laments that she loved Rick, but he wasn't the man she thought he was. Stephanie retorts, "He's exactly who I thought he was," and hugs Steffy.

Ridge and Taylor are shocked that Brooke still defends Rick.

At Taylor's house, Brooke fumes at Taylor's desperate plea for Ridge to bail on their marriage. Taylor states that Brooke's marriage will never be normal as long as Brooke continues to be blindly loyal to Rick, but Brooke thinks Taylor is way off base and turns to Ridge, reminding him of their promise to work through their issues with Rick together. She still can't believe Ridge would concoct this scheme with Taylor to bring Rick down. Taylor accuses Brooke of hearing what she wants, but Brooke thinks Taylor was out to get Rick all along. Ridge tells Brooke that he thought they were on the same page, but obviously, they're not, and he feels like his actions were justified to open Steffy's eyes about Rick. He just wishes Brooke would do the same. Brooke says that her eyes are open, and she sees two people who set a trap for her son. Taylor rolls her eyes and accuses Brooke of again taking Rick's side instead of thinking about how Steffy was hurt by Rick's attempts to destroy her. Brooke insists that Rick wasn't trying to destroy Steffy. "No, he was trying to destroy my life," Ridge states, "and he was using my young daughter to do it." Taylor is shocked that Brooke can't see that. Brooke says that she sees a situation that she and Ridge could have worked through until Taylor got involved. She accuses Taylor of doing this to get Ridge back, not for Steffy, but she assures that it isn't going to happen, so Taylor might as well stop her pathetic begging. Brooke tells Ridge that she's leaving and marches toward the door. Ridge tells Taylor that they'll talk later and follows.

Thomas comes home for a visit.

After Brooke and Ridge leave, Thomas arrives on a break from his therapy with James and tells his mom that he hopes he doesn't have to be away much longer. Taylor informs him that Steffy has ended things with Rick and is moving back home. Thomas is thrilled. Steffy and Stephanie arrive with Steffy's things. Thomas races to his sister and asks if it's really over with Rick. Steffy confirms that she and Rick are done and promises to give Thomas all the details if he helps her unpack, so they race upstairs to get to work.

Taylor tells Stephanie that she asked Ridge to come home to her.

Alone with Taylor, Stephanie comments on how good Thomas looks. She bets that Thomas feels much better now that everyone sees what a bastard Rick is. Speaking of Rick, Stephanie tells Taylor how Rick dropped by the beach house while Steffy was packing and assures that Steffy stayed strong and told Rick to leave. Stephanie then tells Taylor about Rick's comment that this situation would put a strain on Brooke and Ridge's marriage. Taylor thinks Rick might be right and tells Stephanie about Brooke's little tirade while she was here earlier. She thinks Ridge and Brooke are as far apart on the subject of Rick as she's ever seen. Stephanie asks if Ridge left with Brooke. Taylor replies that he did, but she really felt like this whole ordeal is starting to take a toll on Ridge. She admits that she probably shouldn't have, but she told Ridge to leave Brooke and her sick family and come back here where he belongs. "Good for you," Stephanie praises.

Brooke tries to talk to Ridge about Rick.

Ridge and Brooke arrive back home. Brooke wants to check on the kids, but Ridge wants to talk to Brooke first. He assures her that he wants to get through this, and he thinks the best way to do that is by agreeing not to talk about Rick. Before Brooke can answer, Rick strolls out of the kitchen, a grilled ham and cheese sandwich in hand, and asks if he heard his name. Ridge asks Rick what he's doing here. Rick explains that he just gave Steffy some space at the beach house to pack, and he would have thought Ridge would appreciate that. "What I'd appreciate," Ridge states, "is if you were anywhere but here." Rick asks where else he was supposed to go. Ridge suggests a motel, but Rick rolls his eyes. Ridge reminds Brooke that they just agreed not to talk about Rick, but Rick points out that his mom never agreed. Ridge tells Brooke to get Rick out of there, but she can't do that to her son after everything he's been through tonight. Stunned that Brooke is defending Rick again, Ridge asks when she's going to stop letting him play her. He can't believe she's coming to Rick's rescue after what he did. Brooke points out that Rick isn't the only one who's done things, and she doesn't see the harm in letting him spend one night. Ridge refuses to sleep under the same roof as "little Ricky" and storms out. Brooke calls out for Ridge to wait, but Rick tells her to let him go.

Rick tells Brooke that he'll always be there for her.

Rick tells Brooke that he obviously screwed up again, but he's not surprised that "Mr. Pious" threw a hissy fit about his wanting to stay here for one night. Brooke defends Ridge and points out that this is a big deal to him. Rick blames Ridge for breaking him and Steffy up, but Brooke points out that he did that himself with his words on the recording. Rick again accuses Ridge of setting him up, but Brooke still thinks Rick should have known that coming here would upset Ridge and asks her son why he didn't go to his father's. Rick asks why she's surprised that he came to her first, reminding her that she has been in his corner the whole time. Brooke laments that she's again stuck between her son and her husband. Rick says he was trying to make things better with Ridge, but Brooke has to wonder if he's rather see her spend her life all alone than with Ridge. Rick tells her that she'll never be alone, because he's her son, and he'll always be there for her. Brooke reminds him that she also has a husband who just stormed out rather than be in the same room as her son. She fears that this whole situation has affected her marriage, and while she once thought they could work through this, now she's not so sure. Rick is sorry to see her in such pain and promises to stand by her.

Ridge agrees to stay the night at Taylor's.

Ridge returns to Taylor's, where the conversation again turns to Rick. Ridge and Taylor tell Steffy that Rick's decision not to press charges against Thomas came with a price tag, but they had no choice but to agree to keep Thomas free. Steffy is stunned, since Rick told her he agreed not to press charges because he loved her. She can't believe she was so blind, but at least Rick can't hurt her anymore. She thanks them all for supporting her. Ridge gives her a big hug. Steffy then asks Ridge if he'll stay the night; with Thomas and Stephanie here, she thinks it would be like old times but for the absence of Phoebe. Taylor tells her that Phoebe is with them in spirit and recalls that Phoebe treasured family moments like this, especially when her dad was there. Thomas and Steffy ask Ridge to stay to hang out and watch a movie. Ridge agrees to stay as long as the movie is "Attack Of The Mutant Zombie Women." The ladies groan at that choice, but Thomas sides with his dad. Taylor agrees to take the kids to the video store to pick out a movie and they leave.