Thursday, March 12, 2009, Episode #5520

Pam pleads her innocence to Stephanie.

At the police station, a weeping Pam pleads her innocence to Stephanie, who can't help but wonder if her sister might have attacked Rick given Pam's past history. Stephanie urges Pam to tell her the truth. Pam insists that she didn't try to kill Rick and asks why she'd hide evidence in her own office if she was guilty. Stephanie suggests that Pam might have been trying to pin the blame on someone else, but Pam sobs, "This is all a terrible mistake" and begs her sister to believe that she's innocent. Moved by her sister's plea, Stephanie finally believes her. She wonders who might have wanted to kill Rick and set Pam up to take the blame. Pam suggests that someone might have planted evidence so she'd do some serious jail time, but Stephanie thinks that Rick's the real target and Pam is just the scapegoat. As the sisters wrack their brains trying to figure out who the guilty party is, Stephanie suggests that it might be someone who wants both Rick and Pam out of the way. She wonders if Steffy has any old boyfriends. Pam brings up Marcus, who hates Rick for taking Steffy away, and notes that they know little about Marcus. Stephanie theorizes that Marcus's mother Donna wants to see Pam behind bars and wonders if Donna and Marcus could have set Pam up. Pam asks how they can prove that if it's true. Stephanie isn't sure, but she vows to find a way to figure out if those two are involved and promises Pam that she'll get her out of there. Pam thanks her sister for her support.

Ridge and Brooke discuss new beginnings.

Brooke and Ridge go home and discuss Pam's arrest. Ridge is upset, as he was so sure his aunt was cured. Brooke thanks Ridge for supporting her son, but Ridge doesn't want her to get the wrong idea. Brooke thinks it's a huge step that he agreed not to keep Rick and Steffy apart and thinks that can make a difference for all of them. "It's a new beginning," she sighs. Ridge admits that he likes new beginnings. Brooke notes the smile on his face and says that she hasn't seen that in a while. Ridge tells her that he can't help smiling when he's with her, since she makes everything that much sweeter. They start kissing, and Ridge tells Brooke that she makes everything perfect.

Marcus interrupts Rick and Steffy.

Rick and Steffy are smooching in his office when Marcus comes in. "Am I interrupting something?" he sneers, remarking that he thought this was still a place of business. Steffy is too startled to speak, so Rick tells Marcus that he appreciates him being so cool about the situation, especially since Marcus was the one who lost out. Marcus retorts that he didn't "lose out," because Steffy is a woman and not some object to be won. He warns Rick not to read too much into his "being cool" about it, since he's only doing that for Steffy's sake and not for Rick's. It pains him to see Steffy look at Rick in a way she never looked at him, and he just hopes that Steffy will open her eyes one day and see what kind of ass Rick really is before Rick really hurts her.

Jake brings Rocco Carner in to see

Jake finds Thorne and Felicia in Ridge's office and has someone there to see them. He opens the door and lets Rocco Carner in. [For newer viewers: Rocco appeared on the show from 1987-89. He was involved with Donna and Katie back then, and he also got a job at Forrester after saving Ridge and Caroline from a mugger.] Felicia welcomes Rocco home and asks when he got back from Forrester International in Paris [which is kind of interesting since the two characters were never on the show during the same time period]. Thorne says Rocco just got back, but Rocco says he got in a few days ago. Felicia asks which one it is. Thorne corrects himself and says that Rocco got back a few days ago. Felicia bets that Rocco wants to see Rick since they must have crossed paths when Rick was at International. Rocco doesn't really want to talk about Rick.

Thorne tells Felicia about some tension between Rocco and Rick.

Felicia asks Rocco if she said something wrong, wondering if there's any bad blood between Rocco and Rick. Not exactly, Rocco answers. Thorne explains that Rocco asked Rick several times for a transfer back to L.A., but Rick kept ignoring him. Thorne is pleased that he got Rocco's transfer back home approved, since he needs someone like Rocco to work with him on a dynamite project. Rocco then leaves and passes Rick's office, where Rick is apologizing to Steffy for what happened with Marcus. When he spots Rocco in the hall, Rick invites him in and introduces him to Steffy. Rick tells Steffy that Rocco works at International, but Rocco informs him that Thorne approved his request to transfer back home. Rick seems upset by that news. Rocco reveals that he and Thorne are going to be working on a project together and it's going to be "the bomb." After Rocco leaves, Steffy asks who that guy was. Rick says that Rocco is a loser he's been trying to fire for years. He wants to talk to Thorne, since he can't see why Thorne would want Rocco back in L.A. Rick then tells Steffy that he has a surprise for her and whisks her off.

Donna is stunned when Stephanie shows up in the steam room.

Donna stops in Eric's office to leave him a note welcoming him back from Paris. In the note, she invites her honey bear to join her for a little steam. She leaves the note on Eric's desk along with one of her "honey bear" bottles labeled "massage oil" and heads for the steam room. After Donna leaves, Stephanie comes in looking for Eric. When she sees Eric's not there, she finds Donna's note and reads it. Stephanie then heads for the steam room, where Donna is relaxing. Hearing the door close, Donna thinks it's her honey bear and begs him to join her. Stephanie pours a pail of cold water on Donna and tells Donna to meet her in Eric's office. When Donna arrives, she asks Stephanie what's wrong. Stephanie thinks Donna and her son are the ones who have something wrong with them, since she thinks Donna is letting Pam take the fall for crimes Marcus committed. Donna insists that she and her son had nothing to do with what happened to Rick, but Stephanie bets that Marcus wanted to hurt Rick after Rick stole Steffy away. Donna thinks that's ridiculous, but Stephanie puts forth that Marcus had a real motive to hurt Rick while Pam did not. Donna argues that Pam is insane enough to do anything to protect Stephanie, but Stephanie insists that her sister is innocent and tells Donna that she won't let Pam take the fall for what someone else did. Donna doesn't want to hear it. Stephanie vows to prove that her sister is innocent, but Donna simply bids her goodnight and leaves.

Rick has a surprise dinner for Steffy.

As Stephanie is about to leave the office, she sees Jake roaming the halls talking on the phone to Rick. She overhears Jake tell Rick to have a great time at the beach with Steffy and realizes that Rick and Steffy must be at the beach house. Meanwhile, Rick and Steffy arrive at the beach house, where Rick has a romantic candlelight dinner waiting for them. Steffy is impressed by the effort. Rick boasts that they have a lot to celebrate, so he just wants to enjoy some beautiful food and beautiful music with a beautiful woman, and he has a beautiful bottle of wine to help get them in the mood. Rick then laughs that he can't let Steffy drive home later if she has some wine. Steffy giggles that they have to put "safety first" and starts to kiss him. As they move over the couch to make out, Steffy keeps repeating the word "safety." Rick laughs in agreement that it's important to always be safe and kisses Steffy.