In the CEO's office, Steffy walked in as Hope and Brooke were saying it had taken guts for Steffy to tell the truth when Taylor hadn't been able to. Steffy assumed Hope and Brooke would start in on Steffy, but instead, Brooke thanked Steffy for what she'd done.
Hope still found it hard to believe what Thomas had done after the work he'd done to better himself. Steffy added that Thomas had dragged Douglas into it and had asked him to lie. Steffy was angry and embarrassed. She said her parents should be celebrating their honeymoon.
Brooke stated that Steffy's willingness to tell the truth said a lot about her character. Though Brooke didn't know what would happen, she hadn't wanted Ridge to make any decisions based on a lie. Brooke was grateful that Steffy had stopped Ridge from doing that.
Steffy replied that Brooke didn't have to thank her. Steffy had done what she'd done for her parents. She said that when Ridge and Taylor actually did get married, there would be no lies between them. Brooke said that it was important for any marriage, but Brooke wasn't sure Ridge and Taylor would get married "after this."
Steffy admitted that Ridge had soul-searching to do and said he'd left town to gain perspective. "Same with my mom," Steffy added. She declared that Thomas' lie didn't change how Ridge felt about Taylor or about a future with her. Brooke asked if Taylor's lack of action mattered.
Steffy scoffed. Hope said Steffy had to admit that Taylor's silence had been surprising. Brooke figured that Taylor had to know, moments before the wedding, that Ridge had left Brooke over the fraudulent phone call, and the ceremony had been based upon a lie; however, Taylor had been willing to go through with it. Brooke was stunned that Taylor would do that.
Steffy asked Hope and Brooke not to judge Taylor, who'd planned to tell Ridge. Hope remarked that it had seemed a little shady. Steffy defended her mother for believing Thomas' strong argument about why Ridge had said he'd planned to marry Taylor, which had had nothing to do with Brooke. Brooke said she was glad Steffy had felt different about telling the truth.
Though Steffy was confident in Ridge's promises to Taylor, Steffy hadn't wanted her parents to start out again on a lie. Hope said she was grateful Steffy had spoken up. Steffy received a message and decided she couldn't make the HFTF meeting because she had to meet Finn. Brooke thanked Steffy again for what she'd done. Steffy, who didn't know if it was a compliment or insult, said, "You're welcome."
Hope left for the meeting as Steffy left to meet Finn. Alone, Brooke gazed at a picture of herself and Ridge. Thomas entered, grinned, and asked Brooke what was going on. He suggested Brooke take the photo home with her because Ridge wouldn't want it around after he was married to Taylor. Thomas was certain the wedding would still happen after the "hiccup."
Brooke asked if that was really what Thomas would call what he'd done to her and Ridge. She asked what was wrong with Thomas. He said he'd had a screw-up stepmom. "This again? Do you really hate me that much?" Brooke asked. Claiming not to, he said he didn't even think about her. "Oh, you do. You think about me all the time," she rejoined. She added that he thought about how to ruin her life and destroy her marriage.
Thomas claimed that it was about Ridge and Ridge's happiness, but Brooke insisted that all Thomas cared about was his fantasy of reuniting his family. Brooke argued that Thomas had hurt his father, who'd done nothing but defend, love, and support Thomas. Brooke asked if that was how Thomas repaid Ridge and showed Ridge love.
Brooke asked if Thomas had anything to say. In a mocking tone, Thomas asked if she wanted him to be sorry or to hope she and Ridge lived happily ever after. Thomas refused to do either.
Brooke concluded that Thomas had no remorse. She said she was worried about him, but he claimed he'd be fine. Brooke persisted, saying she was worried about his lies, manipulations, and treatment of her daughter. She stated that he'd done so much and had gone too far, hurting both his parents. "This time, you're going to pay for what you've done!" she declared.
At Deacon's place, Sheila invited Deacon to play rummy. He declined. She suggested strip poker, but he refused that, too. She claimed to be trying to have fun, but he said they couldn't bury their heads in the sand. "Time's running out, Sheila," he stated.
Sheila replied that it was true for everyone, and they had to have as much fun as they could. Worried that things couldn't go on that way, Deacon said that if she kept going out in her costume, it would only end one way -- with her in a prison cell. Sheila complained that he was always doom and gloom, but he insisted that the reality of it was that she couldn't hide there forever.
Deacon didn't get why Sheila wasn't stressed out by it. She said she always landed on her feet. Joking that it had been when she'd had ten toes, he reasoned that it might not be so easy to do again. She said she'd had her back against the wall before. Recalling that she'd thought it had been over after Genoa City, she said she had turned it around and married Eric Forrester.
Sheila stated that reinventing herself was what she did, and it wouldn't be any different that time. Deacon asserted that she'd shot two people, imprisoned a guy, and driven a woman off a pier. Sheila asked if he'd heard of a corpse going to prison before. "And if they try to lock up this ghost, I'm going to float right through those bars again," she vowed.
Deacon looked troubled, but Sheila was adamant that she was off everyone's radar. Deacon still couldn't believe she'd cut off her toe. She said that nurse Sheila's surgery had worked out just fine, and that was all that mattered.
Later, Sheila recited "This Little Piggy." When she got to her missing toe, she said, "This little piggy, well, she had to take one for the team, but she's kept mama out of prison."
In Finn's office, Finn intently gazed at a photo of Sheila in an article on his laptop. Detective Sanchez arrived, wondering why Finn had asked to meet. Finn said something was nagging him, even though he knew he should forget Sheila.
Finn asked if Sanchez had a particular item. Sanchez held up an evidence envelope. Finn asked if it was okay if he took possession of it. Sanchez said the case was closed, and as Sheila's next of kin, "this now belongs to you." Sanchez set the bag with the specimen dish containing Sheila's toe down on Finn's desk.
Sanchez wondered what troubled Finn and how the toe could help. Finn remarked that he was looking for more insight into Sheila's brutal death. Sanchez figured a zookeeper could tell him more than a chomped-off toe could.
Steffy arrived as Sanchez was leaving. Alone with Finn, she asked why the detective had been there. She shuddered upon seeing the dish on the desk. "Is that...?" she asked. Steffy asked what he was doing with Sheila's toe, and he said he hoped to get much-needed answers. He confided in Steffy that something about Sheila's death hadn't sat well with him.
To Steffy, it added up, and the toe was proof. "'Chomped-off toe,' as Sanchez put it," Finn said. Finn admitted that it was a little convenient that Sheila had been mauled by a bear. He hadn't brought his suspicions up because Steffy had been preoccupied with her family. "Does this look chomped off to you?" he asked. Steffy said that was not her area of expertise.
Finn intended to look closer at it under a microscope because, to him, it was too clean. "Oh, my God. Are you suggesting that Sheila isn't dead?" Steffy asked. Finn asserted that Sheila Carter was alive.
Later, Finn held the toe in a clear bag after performing his analysis. Steffy asked if it was true that Sheila was alive.
In Finn's office, Finn expressed skepticism about Sheila's death. He said he found it hard to accept that she'd gone off into the woods and gotten mauled by a bear. Finn asserted his belief that Sheila had faked her own death. "And this toe can prove it," he said, holding up the mummified digit in a Petri dish.
Unsettled by Finn's assertions, Steffy said the authorities had looked into it, but Finn questioned why the authorities hadn't found more than a middle toe. To Finn, it looked too clean, not the result of an animal attack, and he said a staged death would stop the police from hunting Sheila.
As Finn examined the toe under a microscope. Steffy wondered if it was too much for him. Finn said he'd seen worse in the emergency room. After Finn analyzed the digit for a while, Steffy asked if his hunch had been right. Finn replied that he was positive. "There was no attack. She did this to herself," he said. Steffy trembled as she replied that Sheila was alive.
Later, Finn ended a call during which he confirmed that they saw in a photo the same thing he did. After the call, Finn told Steffy that Sheila hadn't lost the toe from a bear attack. He contended that an animal attack would cause ripping and tearing. As Steffy looked into the microscope, he noted the straight cut at the base of the toe and said there were no teeth marks or trauma. He concluded that Sheila had amputated the toe herself.
Steffy agreed with Finn. Finn said ripped clothing and a staged campsite hadn't been enough, and Sheila had needed to provide more proof; however, what the toe really proved was how diabolical Sheila was. Terrified, Steffy asked what they'd do and said Sheila had had months to cover her tracks. Finn said Sheila thought she'd gotten away with it, and that gave them the upper hand. Finn vowed to find Sheila Carter and put her in prison for the rest of her life.
At Deacon's place, Sheila admitted to her toe that she missed it, but she said she'd sacrifice anything to be close to her son. Deacon arrived, and he wondered what her smug smile was about. Sheila replied that she was counting her lucky toes, all nine of them. Deacon implored Sheila to face facts. The only way he saw it ending was with cops bursting through the door.
Sheila joked that the landlord wouldn't like it. Deacon reasoned that another alternative was turning herself in. Sheila rejected that idea, but he insisted that she'd get caught and take him down with her. She assumed that he was just looking out for himself. He said he should have been doing that from the start, but he'd been a sucker for a good sob story.
Sheila asserted that she hadn't cut off her toe to spend her days limping around a prison cell. She claimed that Finn and Hayes had given her the courage to do it. She said she'd cut her toe off to stay out of prison, and she wouldn't turn herself in. Deacon yelled that Sheila was putting them both in jeopardy, and there was no way out. He told her that if she didn't turn herself in, he would. Shoving him, she said he wouldn't do that to her. He insisted that it was time for it to end.
Later, an angry Sheila donned her mask. She grabbed a bag of wigs, saying Deacon should have known better than to threaten her. Deacon claimed he hadn't done that. He wanted to know where she was going and said "that stupid disguise" wouldn't save her. He insisted that her time was up. "Never!" she yelled, and she stormed out.
Outside the door, Sheila put on a blonde wig. She recalled Deacon saying that there was no way out. She uttered that there was always a way out.
In the CEO's office, Hope confronted Thomas, asking how he could show his face around there after what he'd done. Hope shouted that she'd believed in him, and so had their son. "Just let me explain," Thomas replied. Hope asked why she'd listen to him when all he'd done was lie.
Thomas explained that his family had been coming together. Hope quipped that he'd just had to get Brooke out of the way. He asked how many times Ridge had left Brooke and how many years it would go on as his family suffered. Hope contended that his family was suffering at that moment. She asked if he knew how difficult it had been for Steffy to stand up to him for Douglas' sake. Hope said Steffy wanted the reunion, too, but hadn't resorted to trickery.
Thomas replied that Ridge had wanted to marry Taylor because he loved her, so saying it had been a trick wasn't fair. Hope contended that it had been unfair of Thomas to use their son to sabotage Brooke's marriage. Claiming he hadn't wanted Douglas involved, Thomas tried to say that the breakup had given Deacon a chance, but Hope warned Thomas against spinning it.
Thomas stated that he'd been trying to do good, but nothing good had come of it. No one was speaking to him, but he claimed he could handle it if he could just get Hope to listen to him. He said she didn't have to forgive him or understand, but he implored her to listen. He stated that they'd gotten very close, and he'd seen a vision of his whole family together. He'd seen his parents together, and he'd seen himself with his son. He said Hope had been part of it, too.
Thomas stated that it was all falling apart, but he didn't want to lose his connection to Hope or his relationship with his son. He insisted that it hadn't been heartless or malicious, and he'd been trying to protect his mother. Hope said the call had been fake, but the visit hadn't been; Douglas had been questioned and could have been taken away.
Thomas contended that Douglas had been safe, and the agents wouldn't have found anything. Hope said the call shouldn't have ever been made, and he shouldn't have asked his son to lie again. "He understands it. Why don't you? Now he doesn't even want to see you anymore," Hope added, but Thomas didn't believe that.
Hope asserted that it was true. She said Douglas had wanted a relationship with his father, whom he loved, but Thomas was destroying it. Thomas claimed he'd done all he could to keep Douglas out of it. "If Donna hadn't told him that -- " Thomas began to say. Hope yelled at Thomas to stop. She screamed that it was on Thomas, and he'd put Douglas in the middle of it.
"Sometimes I don't understand how he could be related to you because he is nothing like you!" Hope yelled. Hope said Douglas was brave, compassionate, and unafraid to tell the truth, but Thomas' first instinct was to lie, no matter the consequences. She couldn't believe she'd ever trusted Thomas again. Thomas said he hadn't manipulated her, and their connection was real. She contended that if it was real, he'd used it against her to make her believe he'd changed.
Thomas reasoned that Hope had given him a chance to prove himself, and he'd done it. Hope replied that he'd thrown it away. She said they'd been a team, and she'd defended him against Brooke and Liam, who'd been right all along. Thomas said Brooke and Liam hadn't given Thomas the benefit of the doubt, but she had. Hope wished she hadn't.
Thomas asked Hope not to give up on him. Hope said she couldn't believe he was asking her that or that she'd fallen for it. She stated that she could have stopped her mom's heartbreak and her son's disappointment if she'd just trusted herself. She recalled going along with Douglas being at Eric's house and her decision to spend time there. She said she'd let her guard down, and then he'd tried to kiss her. He replied that it hadn't been calculated.
Hope told Thomas that he'd crossed the line. Thomas reminded her that they'd agreed not to talk about it. With a mirthless laugh, she said that had been before she'd found out the other things he'd been up to. Thomas claimed that the attempted kiss had occurred in a moment of excitement and love. He reiterated that he could only love one woman, and that was Hope.
"And I love Liam. Never you. Especially after this betrayal," Hope replied. She said she'd thought she and Thomas had been friends. She called him a talented designer, but she couldn't fathom working with him. Hope stated that she'd once seen a man growing and trying to be worthy of his son, but instead, all she saw was a sad, pathetic man who'd kept her from Beth and who hadn't cared about his son's safety, so he'd called "CPS" on himself.
"And for what?" Hope asked. She walked out, and as she slammed the door behind her, Thomas uttered, "You didn't give me a chance to explain."
Finn peered through the microscope at Sheila's severed toe and repeated his belief that the cut was too clean to have been the result of a bear attack. Steffy grumbled that "only a demented woman like Sheila Carter would go to such unspeakably lengths" to fake her death. Finn wanted to be wrong about what Sheila had done, but he felt compelled to figure things out because he feared for his family's safety.
Finn explained that while the case was circumstantial, knowing what Sheila was capable of made it clear to him that Sheila had faked her death. Finn wondered where his mother was hiding. Steffy determined that Sheila was "crazy enough" to still be in Los Angeles and that there was someone who might know where she was.
In his apartment, Deacon wondered where Sheila had gone. Deacon tossed Sheila's belongings into a suitcase in an attempt to rid his place of any traces of the supposedly dead fugitive. As he was packing the suitcase, a knock sounded on the door. Deacon hid the suitcase in the bedroom before answering the door. Deacon was surprised to see Steffy and Finn standing outside. Deacon told the pair that he had to be at work soon, but Steffy assured him that they only needed a minute of his time.
Steffy and Finn thanked Deacon for having found them in the alley the night they'd been shot. "This is gonna sound crazy," Steffy said before telling Deacon that they had uncovered some new information about Sheila. "We know Sheila is alive. She faked her own death," Steffy exclaimed.
At Forrester Creations, Carter found a smiling Brooke seated in the executive office, looking at photos of herself and Ridge. Carter noted that it was the first time that he had seen Brooke since Ridge and Taylor's wedding ceremony. He said he had not seen Ridge since. Brooke told Carter that Ridge was taking some "much-needed time" to figure things out.
Carter wondered where things stood between Ridge and Brooke. "Nothing has been decided yet," Brooke explained. Brooke then quickly turned the conversation to someone else who was figuring out their life: Katie. Brooke remarked that it seemed like Katie and Carter's friendship had turned into something more than just friendship. Brooke confessed that she couldn't help but be concerned for her little sister.
Brooke told Carter that Katie had overheard him talking to Bill and that Carter had said "wonderful things" about Katie. Carter was surprised that Katie had heard what he'd said, but he insisted that he had meant every word. Carter stated that Katie was a "remarkable, intelligent, beautiful woman" who deserved better than Bill Spencer. Brooke agreed that it was probably in Katie's best interest to move on from Bill. Brooke called Carter a "man of integrity," even if he did have a "little slip-up with Quinn." Carter shared that he wasn't quite sure where he and Katie stood because things hadn't really gotten started between them.
Katie dropped by Bill's house to pick up some things to put in a care package for Will. Katie commented that Bill didn't seem like himself. As Bill took another drink from a glass, Katie gasped. "It's just whiskey, Katie. Relax," Bill snapped. Katie said that she wasn't concerned about his drinking, but she did want to know why he was wearing his sword necklace again. "I feel like I need the extra protection," Bill muttered. Bill told Katie that he was "not in a good place [and] not making the best life decisions."
Katie assumed that Bill's behavior had something to do with Brooke. Bill's voice cracked as he recalled how his life had been marred by wanting things that he didn't really want. Referring to himself as "a colossal ass" and his "own worst enemy," Bill began to cry as he said that he hated what he'd become. Katie told Bill that she hated that the man she had given her whole heart to was in love with her sister. Bill argued that Katie was not listening to what he was saying, and he accused her of giving up on his family for Carter Walton.
"I have practically gotten on my knees and begged you for another chance," Bill said. Katie told Bill that she did not want it to appear that she was rejecting him, but she indicated that they could not be together for reasons that Bill knew. "Everyone in my life has abandoned me -- even Justin. My so-called best friend," Bill replied somewhat angrily. Bill vowed that he would and could be committed and devoted to solely her.
"What you are asking is not possible. I'm moving on," Katie replied. She admitted that she wasn't sure if "moving on" involved Carter. Katie said that when she looked into Carter's eyes, she could tell that he was being truthful. Bill argued that he was being truthful with Katie, but she refused to believe him. Bill said that hurt him but also made him angry -- angry at himself and angry at the situation they were facing. "I will not give up. I will not lose you to Carter Walton or anyone else. I do not lose," Bill said coldly. Katie began to cry as Bill said, "I need you now, Katie -- like never before."
At Deacon's place, Deacon pretended not to know why things didn't seem to add up about Sheila's death, but Steffy and Finn reasoned that it had been strange that the police had only found Sheila's toe. Finn said there should have been more things and more blood. Deacon asked if they really thought Sheila was alive. Steffy said that they were certain of it.
Deacon wondered why Steffy and Finn were convinced that Sheila was alive. Deacon groaned when Finn held up Sheila's toe. Deciding he needed a beer, Deacon asked where Finn had gotten the toe. Finn said Sanchez had given it to him. Deacon wondered if Finn and Steffy were just walking around with the toe, knocking on doors. Steffy replied that it was just his door, and they were hoping he could help them find Sheila Carter.
Deacon asked if a decomposing toe wasn't enough proof. Steffy said there had been security footage of Sheila in the Sierra Mountains. Finn, Sheila, and Deacon discussed the clues the police had found: Sheila's car, a cell phone, an ID, some hair, and clothing. Deacon remarked that he'd heard that the crime scene photos had been gruesome. Finn replied that they hadn't been as bad as he would have expected, and there should have been more remains left behind.
Deacon figured that the bear had been famished. He said he didn't mean any disrespect. Steffy and Finn shared their belief that Sheila had orchestrated her "death" to stay out of prison. Deacon asked why Finn and Steffy were adamant that Sheila had done it. Steffy replied that Deacon knew Sheila. Steffy asked who else would cut off her own toe and fake her death.
Finn explained that it had been nagging at him, so he'd asked Sanchez to bring him some evidence. Finn stated that he'd looked at the toe under a microscope, and there had been no sign that an animal had chewed it off. Instead, it had been evenly sliced to make it look that way. "By none other than Sheila Carter, unless she had help from someone else," Steffy added.
Deacon stammered, and Finn and Steffy said it freaked them out, too. Deacon asked if they'd mentioned it to the cops. Steffy said they'd gone to Deacon first because he and Sheila had a history. Finn said Deacon and Sheila had clearly been an item when Finn and Hope had seen them together.
Deacon claimed that it had been ages back, and he'd hardly call them an item. Speaking in the present tense, Deacon said Sheila had a strong personality and was difficult to turn down. Steffy and Finn figured that Sheila had very few friends and no one to turn to. "Except you," Steffy said, and she asked if Deacon would tell them if they knew anything about where Sheila was or had been.
Deacon replied that if Sheila was still alive, he had no idea where she was. Finn called it okay and requested that Deacon let them know if he heard anything because Sheila was dangerous. Deacon showed Finn and Steffy out the door. Alone, he slammed his fist against a wall.
In the CEO's office, Katie walked in on a shirtless Carter. She said it was the best thing to happen to her all day. Carter assumed her day had been uneventful. "Not anymore," she replied. She said she'd gotten more than she'd bargained for when she'd taken some papers to Carter.
Carter mentioned that he'd talked to Brooke, who'd revealed that Katie had overheard him singing her praises to Bill. Katie said Carter had told her that she deserved more, and it had taken her awhile to accept that it was true. Carter said it was a big step for Katie to finally come to terms with it. "You're making my happiness your business?" she asked.
Carter chuckled and asked if that was okay. Katie replied that it was okay, and it had felt powerful to her. She said Carter had stood up for her after seeing what Bill had done. Carter replied that it was easy to defend a beautiful woman like her.
Katie revealed that Bill had made another plea to reconcile. Carter asked what Katie had said to Bill. Katie replied that she'd told Bill the truth, that she was moving on. She stated that it was hard because she'd given her heart to Bill, but he'd said her sister was the love of his life. Katie asked if there was a man in that city that wasn't in love with Brooke.
"Brooke, Brooke, Brooke, Brooke, Brooke," Katie said. She asked if there was just one man who might want someone like her. Carter cleared his throat, and she giggled. Carter decided to go on record. He said he respected Brooke and admired her, but that was as far as it went. The only Logan that Carter had his eye on was Katie. Carter listed traits he liked about Katie and told her that she was beautiful. The two kissed.
At Bill's house, Liam arrived to get a business decision from Bill, who'd been "a little MIA" at work. Liam groaned when he saw Bill's sword necklace around Bill's neck. Liam asked what was going on with Bill and why he was wearing it. Bill asked if Katie had put Liam up to asking, but Liam said he hadn't talked to Katie.
Bill stated that it was just a piece of jewelry, but Liam declared that it was a metaphor for Bill's self-destructiveness. Liam said he'd thought Bill had been done with it forever. Bill replied that forever was a long time, and he didn't have to explain himself to Liam.
Giving up learning more about the necklace, Liam guessed the visit with Katie hadn't gone as Bill had planned. Bill said he'd poured his heart out to Katie, but she hadn't wanted anything to do with him. Instead, Katie was moving on with Carter Walton.
Bill paced, griping about Katie moving on with Carter, and Brooke welcoming Ridge back for more disappointment. Liam replied that Brooke wasn't back with Ridge. Bill persisted in griping, saying he'd been stabbed in the back by his best friend and brother, Justin, who'd then started working at Forrester.
Liam said Bill had a right to be disappointed and feel sorry for himself every once in a while. Bill replied that he was spitting facts, and Liam would be the one feeling sorry for himself if he kept it up. Liam told Bill to stop it because it was all about ego, and when Bill's ego got in charge, Bill got himself into trouble.
Liam stated that Katie wasn't leaving the family and would continue to be a good mother to Will; however, Bill and Katie hadn't been together in a long time. Bill said it had been unofficially that way, but it had always been there beneath the surface. He said he'd figured that it had been a matter of time, and everyone knew he and Katie would wind up together.
"Katie or Brooke. I was meant to be with one or the other," Bill uttered. Liam stated that Bill couldn't have both. Bill asserted that Liam knew Bill didn't like anyone to tell him what he could or could not have in business or affairs of the heart. Bill said he'd made mistakes, but he'd loved them, cared for them, and protected them. "And this is what I get in return? Nobody betrays my trust, and nobody dismisses me! I am Dollar Bill Spencer!" Bill yelled.
Bill stomped toward his front door, but Liam grabbed his arm. He asked Bill to promise not to do anything drastic. Bill glared at Liam's hand on Bill's arm. Liam let go, and Bill stalked out of the house.
At Deacon's place, Sheila strode in, still wearing her disguise. Wondering where she'd been, Deacon said she couldn't keep going around like that. Sheila quipped that he was giving her whiplash; one minute, he wanted her to go, and the next, he was upset she'd left. He stated that he'd thought she'd gotten caught. Sheila replied that everyone thought she was dead.
"Not anymore," Deacon declared. He revealed that Steffy and Finn had figured it out, and they knew that Sheila was alive. "No! No! No!" she yelled.
Later, Sheila had taken off her disguise. She accused Deacon of playing a game, but Deacon told her that Finn and Steffy had been there the previous night. He stated that Sheila's gifted son had studied her toe under a microscope and was convinced that it had been cut off, not gnawed off by a wild animal. Sheila said he was just trying to scare her. He yelled that she needed to get out of town and never return.
Deacon asserted that the situation had changed exactly as he'd said it would. Sheila stated that there was a theory, but no one could prove anything. He replied that the cops would reopen the investigation. He asked if she heard the sound of the walls closing in. Sheila told him not to panic, but he asked if he should wait until the cops dragged them back to jail. Deacon declared that he was done, and he couldn't risk all he'd built. He ordered her to leave.
Sheila yelled that counting her out was a big mistake, but Deacon insisted that there was no way out. He said the cops would find her, but it couldn't be there; she had to leave that day.
Laughing, Sheila stated that if it didn't jeopardize her existence, she'd be proud of her brilliant son. Deacon told her to be proud somewhere else. Sheila said she knew she couldn't stay there any longer, but she would figure a way out of it. Deacon replied that Steffy and Finn were relentless, and they wouldn't stop until Sheila was behind bars.
Sheila insisted that she wouldn't go down -- and Deacon wouldn't, either. Sheila said she appreciated Deacon, who'd given her a place to stay. She said she wouldn't betray him, and no one would know where she'd stayed. Hugging her, he said it had been the biggest mistake he'd ever made. Sheila replied that it hadn't been all that bad, "now was it, Daddy?" Sheila and Deacon shared a long kiss.
Later, Sheila donned her disguise along with a blonde wig. Deacon said he was thinking about the redhead who'd followed him back to his place for the hottest hookup ever. "Finally!" Sheila exclaimed, saying he'd finally admitted it. Deacon, who'd become oddly used to her, said he'd miss having her around. She told him that he'd been a good friend.
Deacon said he had a feeling he wouldn't see Sheila again without bars between them. Sheila repeated that she wasn't going back to prison. He asked where she was headed, but she said it was best that he not know. He wished her luck. She kissed him and walked out.
At Forrester, Carter, Eric, Liam, Hope, and Brooke gathered in the CEO's office to await Steffy, who'd called them together for a meeting. The group discussed Taylor and Ridge being out of town, and Hope asked if they'd gone together. Brooke said they hadn't, and she explained that she'd urged Ridge to think about what he wanted because she could no longer do the back-and-forth with him and Taylor.
Eric expressed his deep disappointment in Thomas for what he'd done with the app. Hope said she was disappointed, too. Carter asked if anyone had heard from Thomas. Eric replied that Thomas was keeping a low profile. Hope and Brooke said they were glad that Douglas was with Hope.
Finn and Steffy strode in and thanked everyone for convening so quickly. Steffy stated that they had shocking news: Sheila Carter was alive. The others stood in disbelief because they'd been told that Sheila had been mauled by a bear. Finn said that he and Steffy had proof that Sheila was "most definitely alive."
Later, Hope said it was insane that Sheila had cut off her own toe. Finding it hard to believe, Carter asked if there was more evidence. Finn deduced that the remaining clothing on the scene had been torn, not clawed, and he said Sheila could have smeared blood from the toe on it. Brooke said it all made horrible sense to her.
Eric asked if Finn and Steffy had gone to the police. Finn affirmed it, saying they were reinvestigating. Steffy added that they had a security team ready to go. Hope wondered where Sheila had been hiding out, and Steffy said they'd asked Deacon the same question.
Hope said Deacon wouldn't have anything to do with it, and he'd been trying to better himself. Steffy indicated that they'd only asked Deacon a few questions, but Deacon had been as shocked as they were. Finn said Deacon hadn't heard from Sheila and didn't know where she was. Finn and Steffy insisted that Sheila was out there, and they'd put her behind bars.
Later, the meeting was still going without Steffy and Finn. Those still gathered wondered where Sheila had been staying all that time. Hope assumed it had been in a remote hotel. Liam agreed, finding it hard to believe anyone would harbor Sheila. Carter remarked that it could be an old prison pal. Eric said Sheila was resourceful. "And desperate," Brooke added, saying one had to be in order to cut off one's own toe.
At Il Giardino later, Finn was surprised that Steffy had wanted to eat there. She said she liked the food and wouldn't give up the pleasure just because of Sheila. Steffy, who'd realized that she and Finn had dropped a bombshell on everyone, was glad her parents were out of town. She remarked that Sheila had thought she and Taylor had been best friends.
Steffy asked how everything was affecting Finn. Finn said Steffy knew how he felt. "She shot me," he stated. He figured he might have gotten over that, but Sheila had also shot Steffy, the woman he loved more than anything in the world.
Steffy was creeped out at the thought of Sheila still being out there. Finn was sure the cops would catch Sheila. Steffy said she'd thought she'd lost Finn forever, but when she'd heard his voice and seen him at that church, she'd gotten her miracle. Finn said nothing would have stopped him from getting back to Steffy and their family.
Steffy stepped away from the table to call her mother. As she spoke to her mom outside the bathrooms, she bumped into a woman and spilled her drink on the woman. Steffy apologized, wiping away the drink. When she looked down, she was horrified to see that the woman, who wore open-toed shoes -- only had four toes on her right foot.
