Thursday, February 02, 2012, Episode #6252

Note from Scott: The screen captures for today's update will be added later on Friday. Thanks for understanding.

At the cliff house, Liam notes that Bill doesn't seem sorry for what he did, presuming his dad would do it again and has learned nothing. Bill claims he learned what it feels like to see his relationship with his son change if he doesn't fall on his sword. Liam scoffs that the mighty Bill Spencer never falls on his sword. "Till now," Bill qualifies. Liam reminds Bill who put them all in this situation, but Bill defends his decision to keep Liam from walking out on a marriage to a woman who makes him the best he can be. Seeing his dad interfering again, Liam tells him to stop, wondering if he can ever trust his father again. Bill asks what he can do to fix this, but Liam tells him this isn't some business deal he can deal with in a contract. Bill concedes that it will take time to fix this. It will take a lot of time, Liam stresses, and not just from him but from all the people protecting Bill's little secret. Seeing Liam fret about how terrified Steffy must have felt when she thought she could die, Bill takes it as a sign that Liam cares about Steffy and urges his son to make his marriage work. "This is my decision!" Liam shouts, tired of his dad's interference. Bill states that he's just offering some perspective, but Liam states that it's Bill's perspective, not his, and warns that Bill had best respect whatever decision he makes about which woman he stays with or risk ruining their relationship forever!

At her Bel Air mansion, Taylor hugs Steffy and raves about her daughter's miraculous recovery from the blood clot. Steffy states that MRI clearly shows no clot, so it's like the blockage never existed - unlike her marriage, which still exists and can survive if Liam sees that there are forces in play outside her control. Noting Steffy's reluctance to open up to Ridge, Taylor asks if Bill is somehow involved. Steffy sighs that Bill is always involved where Liam is concerned. Taylor takes that as a "yes," but Steffy clarifies that it's complicated. When her mom asks what this means for her marriage, Steffy notes that Liam hasn't committed to Hope yet and qualifies that she gets more and more concerned the longer she and Liam are apart. Steffy tells her mother not to worry about her so much, although she admits she likes being pampered while she's here. Taylor states that she'll keep pampering as long as Steffy is here, which she hopes won't be too long. Steffy believes in her heart that she won't be here long since she believes Liam wants to honor his commitments to his marriage. On cue, Steffy gets a call from Liam asking her to come over to "our place." Hanging up and telling her mom where she's going, Steffy predicts this will be the shortest separation on record. Taylor hopes she's right and hugs her.

In Ridge's office, Hope looks at a photo of her and Liam on her cell phone. Brooke enters and realizes that her daughter seems upset. When Hope presumes she'll be fine once Liam makes a decision about his marriage, Brooke wonders why he hasn't made that decision yet. When Hope hints that there's more going on than just what Steffy did, Brooke presumes there's something her daughter is hiding. Hope tells her not to worry. Recalling the rooftop kiss the other night, Brooke has no doubts about Liam's love for Hope, but Hope points out that Liam also cares about Steffy and respects marriage. Brooke asks Hope if she thinks Liam will stay with Steffy; thinking it's not likely given all the deceit in that marriage, Hope predicts that it's her turn now, but she laments that all this waiting is hard. Brooke understands given all the time she spent waiting to be with Ridge; she sighs that her life today with Ridge is just as she imagined it would be, even in those dark moments she doubted it would ever happen. When Hope comments about her mom never giving up on Ridge, Brooke notes that Hope never gave up on Liam, either, but she sees one key difference in Hope's situation since Hope's life doesn't revolve around Liam like Brooke's does around Ridge. Confident that Hope could move on without Liam if she had to, Brooke praises her for staying strong and gushes with pride. Hope gets a call from Liam asking her to come over. She says she'll be over soon and hangs up. Brooke asks if Liam made a decision; when Hope answers that she thinks he has, Brooke assures her that she'll be all right, no matter what happens, and hugs her.

Taylor heads over to Forrester to see Ridge. Not seeing Pam at the reception desk, Taylor walks into Ridge's office and finds Brooke looking over some material for Hope's line. When Brooke asks what brings her by, Taylor explains that she wanted to touch base with Ridge now that it looks like Steffy will be reuniting with Liam. When Brooke questions her confidence, Taylor informs her that Liam just called Steffy and asked her to come by the house. Hating to burst Taylor's bubble, Brooke reveals that Liam also asked Hope to come over. The rivals wonder what it means that Liam wanted to see both their daughters at the same time. Brooke predicts that Liam will be sensitive in letting Steffy down, but Taylor believes that Hope's the one who will be let down and advises Brooke to get out of her fantasy world before Hope gets hurt. When Taylor points out that Liam takes his vows very seriously and already forgave Steffy, Brooke wonders how many mistakes Liam is expected to forgive, especially when he is still in love with Hope.

Alone in his living room, Liam reflects on happy times spent with both Hope and Steffy, with montages of memory (set to Bianca Moon's rendition of the Bob Dylan song "Make You Feel My Love") filling his head and heart. When Steffy arrives, she admits she did some stupid, hurtful things to Liam and promises to deal with her insecurities. Feeling like she's home, she tells Liam how much she loves him and how much he means to her. Just as Steffy moves in to kiss Liam, Hope arrives. Steffy prays this is just a bizarre coincidence, but Liam tells her that he invited Hope there as well. Anxious to know what's ahead, Hope and Steffy ask Liam if he made a decision about their futures. Liam starts out by telling Steffy that every day with her is an adventure, thanking her for teaching him to be spontaneous and admiring her energy and fearlessness. He then turns to Hope, the first woman he loved who taught him what true love is all about and what it can (and can't) conquer.

Thinking about his father's lie, Liam tells Steffy that seeing how bravely she faced a gruesome fate made him appreciate their marriage even more. When Liam says that he doesn't take marriage lightly, Hope takes that as her cue to step away so Liam can talk to Steffy alone. Once Hope steps outside, Steffy tells Liam how much she loves him; she points to her ring, stating that she doesn't want to take it off and hoping he feels the same way. Liam simply gazes at her, prompting Steffy to ask if they are staying married or not.