Monday, January 12, 2009, Episode #5478

Marcus asks Steffy for answers.

In the Big Bear cabin, Marcus asks Steffy if there's something she's not telling him. Steffy says that she's been messed up since Phoebe died, but Marcus doesn't think that's a reason to call things off between them. Steffy says she doesn't want to be unfair to him. Based on that comment, Marcus wonders if there's another guy. Steffy says she's just not ready to commit to him and asks him to leave it at that. Marcus presumes that means they're just going to be friends. Steffy says that's all she can handle now and keeps repeating that she's sorry. Marcus says that he's sorry, too, and turns to leave. Steffy asks if he'll be OK driving back to L.A. Marcus says he'll be fine. Still feeling upset, he hugs her goodbye, tells her that he still loves her and leaves. Once he's gone, Steffy tries to call Rick; she gets his voice-mail and leaves him a message to come to Big Bear right away.

Rick and Brooke wait for Eric's decision.

Rick, Stephanie, Brooke and Donna wait for Eric's decision on who will leave Forrester. Eric pauses for a moment and then looks at Rick. He tells Rick that he loves him, but Rick obviously didn't always know that given how he unnecessarily manipulated and lied his way to the presidency of this company. That makes Eric wonder if he made a mistake, since Rick's inability to work with Stephanie casts doubt on his leadership skills. Rick asks if that means he's out and Stephanie is in. Eric explains that he wants Rick to acknowledge what he's done. Rick thinks that he has, but Stephanie doesn't think he's acknowledged or accepted the consequences of his actions. The bottom line, Eric states, is that Rick has to admit that he's learned from the mistakes he made. Rick asks what else he can do to show that he's learned. Eric says that he needs to put his ego aside and work with Stephanie and Ridge.

Eric tells Rick and Stephanie how it's going to be.

Stephanie balks at the direction Eric is taking the company in. Donna thinks Stephanie is one to talk given the tension she created with her comments to the press. When Stephanie defends her actions, Eric fumes that she believes she was right to demonize Rick in front of the world with her remarks, especially after all the times he warned her about this type of behavior. He's livid that she's forcing him to make him a choice. Stephanie asks what that means. It means that she'll be gone if she turns this into an ultimatum, Eric asserts, and he expects her to work with Rick as well. He's not firing either of them, but he'll fire them both if this keeps up. Stephanie tells Eric that he'll regret letting the Logans run this company. She warns that he'll ruin the company if he thinks he can depend on Rick and storms out. After she leaves, Eric tells Rick that he'll have to work effectively with Ridge to remain president. Rick says he understands and turns to leave. Brooke asks where he's going. "I have no idea," Rick says as he exits.

Donna praises Eric for standing up to his ex.

After Brooke leaves, Donna praises Eric for standing up to Stephanie. She knows Stephanie will always matter to him, but she thinks his ex went too far this time. Eric agrees and wishes Stephanie would stop being so negative. Donna remarks that there was a time when he would have let Stephanie get away with that, and she hopes she had something to do with his finding the strength he needed to stand up to Stephanie this time. Eric responds with a kiss. He then tries to get back to work, but Donna suggests that he take a break first. Eric protests, but Donna opens a drawer and takes out a bear shaped bottle of honey. After removing her blouse, she tells her husband that he needs something extra sweet and squirts some honey on her body. Eric asks her not to do that, but Donna persuades him to play along, so he licks the honey off her and kisses her.

Ridge can't bear to hear Rick's name.

Ridge sits behind his desk, wistfully gazing at a photo of him and Phoebe. He picks up the hair clip he bought for Phoebe in Sydney and looks at it. Madison comes in and tells him that she misses Phoebe, too. Ridge asks Madison if he can help her with something. She tells him that there's been a lot of yelling inside Eric's office since Rick and Stephanie stormed in there. After Madison leaves, Stephanie pops in to tell Ridge about what happened with Rick. When she insists that Rick is trying to force her out of the company, Ridge tells her that Eric would never allow that, but Stephanie claims that Rick can play on Eric's guilt to make it happen. She thinks they have to find a way to get Rick out of the company before he makes trouble. Ridge doesn't want to talk about Rick and asks his mother not to even mention Rick's name. Brooke enters at that moment and scolds Stephanie for her behavior in Eric's office just now. Stephanie retorts that she was just trying to keep Brooke's son-of-a-bitch son in check. As the women argue about Rick, Ridge grows angry and tells them to take their fight elsewhere, but the ladies keep bickering about Rick's part in Phoebe's death. Ridge begs them not to turn his daughter into a bone of contention and again asks them to take their argument somewhere else. Stephanie leaves, but Brooke stays behind to apologize and asks Ridge how she can help him. He asks her not to mention Rick's name; while he's trying hard not to hate Rick, just thinking about Rick reminds him of Phoebe and of how Rick tried to use Steffy, and that just makes him want to lose it.

Steffy is surprised when Rick arrives.

As Steffy prepares to leave the Big Bear cabin, she opens the door and finds Rick there. She assumes that he got her message, but he says that he didn't. Steffy asks why he's here if he didn't get the message. He explains that the thought of her being alone here with Marcus drove him crazy, so he came up. He asks where Marcus is. Steffy reveals that Marcus left. Rick asks if the two of them did anything. Steffy says that nothing happened, but she then corrects herself and recounts how Marcus proposed to her. Rick is surprised. Steffy explains that the proposal caught her off guard, even though she was touched at how sweet and respectful Marcus was in the way he proposed to her. Rick thinks that's the kind of guy she needs, one who appreciates her. Steffy asks if he wants her to marry Marcus. Rick says that it's not his call to make and asks Steffy if that's what she wants, because it's certainly not what he wants. "Don't marry him, because I love you," Rick professes, pulling Steffy into a kiss. As things get hot and heavy between them, they fall down to the floor in front of the fire and get drawn in by the passion of their kisses.