At Spencer, Liam stopped by Bill's office to talk about the shooting case. Bill figured Detective Sanchez had paid Liam a visit, but Liam indicated that it hadn't happened. Bill conveyed that Sanchez had been sniffing around, and Taylor had been concerned about whether Bill would keep his promise.
Liam said Steffy had told him that Bill had agreed not to tell what Taylor had done. Bill affirmed that he wouldn't tell anyone. He said only the four of them knew the truth, and it would stay that way. Liam revealed that it was no longer the case because he'd told Hope.
Later, Bill was telling Liam that confiding in more people increased the chances of the shooter's identity becoming public. Liam asked if Bill understood why Liam had had to tell Hope. Bill thought it was warranted to clue in Hope if Liam had genuine concerns, but Bill believed Taylor's ire was focused on him.
Liam didn't want to think that Taylor could lose it with someone else the same way she had with Bill, but Liam wondered why they were all willing to take the risk. Bill replied that it was because Steffy had asked them to take it. He relayed that he'd gone to Steffy with his concerns; Steffy knew Taylor best and had promised to keep Taylor in check. Liam couldn't shake the feeling that they'd all be better off if Taylor left town for good.
Bill asked why Liam had decided to talk to him about it. Liam replied that Bill was the gunshot victim. Bill responded that Hope and Liam could have just never mentioned the secret again. Liam reasoned that it could be that he missed sharing things with Bill and hearing his opinion. Bill stated that they could get back to the relationship they'd had.
Liam didn't think they could get back to the relationship that he and Bill had had, but he said they could "get back to something." Bill stated that he'd been shot and had fallen from a balcony in the same year, but neither had killed him. Liam wondered if Bill was about to say he was invincible. Bill quipped that he knew he was invincible, but that was beside the point.
Bill's point was that, no matter how hard one tried, some things just couldn't be killed. A father's love was one of those things. Bill felt that, as a new dad, Liam should know what Bill was talking about. Bill expressed that he was there for Liam whenever and however Liam needed him.
In the Forrester studio, Brooke was in shock upon learning that Taylor had shot Bill. She recalled that she and Taylor had had their moments, moments that usually ended with them slapping each other or slathering each other with cake. "But a gun?" Brooke asked. Hope replied that Taylor had thought Bill had violated her daughter.
Brooke was outraged that Taylor had just shot Bill and left him to die. Hope replied that she didn't know enough details of the shooting to affirm or deny Brooke's statement. Brooke and Hope discussed the fact that Bill, Steffy, Liam, and Taylor had been the only ones to know the shooter's identity until that day. Brooke asked why Taylor wasn't in jail. Hope said Steffy had begged Bill to spare Taylor, and Bill had listened.
Amazed that Bill's obsession had gotten him shot, Brooke called the whole thing insane. She couldn't believe it had been premeditated. Hope said that motherly instincts had kicked in when Taylor had seen the gun. Brooke exclaimed that she understood motherly instincts, but she wouldn't just shoot someone in the back.
Brooke thought about all the years that Taylor had gotten in Brooke's face and said vicious things. Brooke had always suspected that something was wrong with Taylor, but learning about the shooting incident had helped Brooke see that it was even more than she'd thought. Brooke declared that Taylor wasn't just crazy -- she was dangerous.
Brooke appreciated Hope revealing the information to her. Hope said Brooke deserved to know. Brooke assumed she deserved to know it because Taylor hated Brooke the most. Brooke became indignant about all the names Taylor had called her and about the way Taylor had made her feel bad. Taylor had painted Brooke as morally inferior, but in Brooke's mind, the shooting was worse than anything Brooke had ever done.
"Taylor, the saint, making me feel bad about myself. Well, no more!" Brooke exclaimed and turned to march out. Hope asked Brooke where she was going. Swiveling, Brooke turned back to Hope. Brooke seethed about the fact that Taylor had put Brooke down for years, but Taylor was the one who could end up in jail. "Where do you think I'm going?" Brooke asked. Brooke strode out, and Hope looked as if she might be ill.
In the Forrester CEO's office with Taylor, Steffy flashed back to Liam telling her that he'd revealed Taylor's secret to Hope. Taylor assumed that Steffy was upset that Taylor had expressed her true feelings to Liam. Taylor said she'd apologized to Liam, and she was willing to apologize to Steffy, too; however, Taylor couldn't keep stuffing down her pain.
Taylor blamed Steffy and Kelly's suffering on Bill. Steffy agreed that Bill had done much damage, but she was worried about what he could do to Taylor. Taylor didn't want Steffy worrying about it and said that a mother should take care of her daughter, not the other way around. Steffy couldn't help but worry because Taylor's crime would affect Taylor's entire life.
Steffy asked if Taylor was still in therapy and if it was working. Taylor affirmed that she was, but she wasn't sure if it was working. She said therapy was hard, and it brought up old pain. Sobbing, Taylor said that the shooting wasn't who she was. Steffy agreed.
"Or maybe it is. I don't know. Maybe it's exactly who I am!" Taylor exclaimed. Taylor believed that nothing would stop her from protecting Steffy. Steffy said she hadn't needed protecting. Taylor yelled that Steffy had needed it and asked if Steffy understood. "After losing Phoebe!" Taylor cried.
Taylor sobbed into her hands for a few moments and asked if Bill would continue refraining from saying anything. Steffy affirmed it. Taylor was haunted by the fear of the police showing up at the door. She asked if Liam would remain silent. Taylor said that everything would be okay if only Steffy, Liam, Bill, and she knew what had happened. "No one else can find out," Taylor said. Steffy hugged her mother.
Later, Steffy was alone in her office. Hope arrived at Steffy's behest and asked what Steffy wanted to talk about. "You know," Steffy said. Hope didn't know what Steffy was talking about, and Steffy elaborated that Hope knew what Taylor had done. Hope replied that she did, and she didn't think she could look at Taylor the same way again.
Hope wondered if Steffy was okay and remarked that it couldn't be easy coping with what her mother had done. It wasn't easy for Steffy, but she understood the motherly instinct. In Hope's view, it didn't justify shooting a man in the back. Steffy claimed that she wasn't justifying it; she was just explaining where Taylor's mind had been.
Hope replied that "where her mind was" concerned everyone. Steffy said that Taylor was getting help. Hope wanted Steffy to know that Hope was speaking from a place of love and concern. Hope suggested that Taylor might need a different type of help.
Hope told Steffy that Taylor had had run-ins with Hope and Brooke. Steffy said she'd heard. Hope characterized the run-ins as really intense. She said Taylor blamed Brooke for stealing Ridge and had accused Brooke of helping Hope steal Liam. Steffy replied that neither of their mothers understood that she and Hope wanted to live their lives differently. Steffy conveyed that she'd asked her mother to give Hope space.
Hope expressed that Steffy wasn't her mother, and Hope didn't blame any of it on Steffy. Shaking her head, Steffy said it was all very messed up. Wondering if Taylor was getting worse, Hope noted that Taylor's interactions with others weren't healthy. Hope asked if they should get outside help or go to somebody. "Somebody like -- the police?" Steffy asked.
Hopping from her seat, Steffy said they were talking about her mother, who was getting help. Steffy said Taylor had been through a lot. Hope countered that Taylor blamed everything on Brooke. Steffy quibbled that Taylor blamed only some of it on Brooke, but Steffy insisted that Taylor was dealing with it and getting help.
Steffy asked Hope to give it time and implored Hope not to tell anyone. Hope said it was too late, and she'd told someone. Steffy asked whom. "My mom," Hope answered. Steffy scowled.
At the cliff house, Taylor relieved Amelia of her babysitting duties. As Amelia opened the front door to leave, Brooke arrived to see Taylor. Amelia exited, and Taylor assumed that Brooke was there to apologize for earlier. Brooke felt that she had nothing to apologize for. Taylor said she didn't appreciate the way Hope and Brooke had treated her earlier, and if Brooke wasn't there to apologize, then she and Taylor had nothing to discuss.
Brooke asked if Taylor had Steffy's permission to relieve the babysitter. Taylor replied that Kelly was her grandchild. Aware of that, Brooke asked if Steffy was okay with Taylor being alone with the baby. Taylor asked why Steffy wouldn't be. Brooke replied that she saw Taylor in a whole new light since she'd learned what Taylor was capable of.
Brooke offered to stay, so that she and Taylor could watch the baby together. Taylor asked if Brooke were implying that Taylor shouldn't be alone with her own granddaughter. Brooke noted that Taylor had been on the attack earlier and asked if it was a good position to be in while caring for an infant. Taylor sarcastically asked to be excused for being upset when Hope had told her to leave town, and Taylor figured that being with Kelly would improve Taylor's mood.
Taylor thought Brooke had a lot of gall to tell Taylor to leave her daughter's house. Taylor said Brooke had Ridge, and Hope had Liam. In Taylor's view, everything had worked out fine for Brooke, so Taylor didn't know why Brooke was still harassing Taylor. "You are the last person to judge me," Taylor decided.
Brooke stated that there it was, the point where, on her moral high ground, the "Great Dr. Taylor Hayes" would explain how horrible Brooke was. Taylor accepted Brooke's false impression of Taylor, but Taylor claimed she never said she didn't make mistakes. Brooke stated that while Taylor made her mistakes, Brooke had gotten berated for breaking up marriages, stealing husbands, and wearing lingerie. "As if any of those things is a crime," Brooke pointed out.
Taylor quipped that if the way Brooke had pursued Taylor's husband hadn't been a crime, then Taylor didn't know what was. Brooke asked if Taylor needed the definition of a crime. "An actual crime, usually committed by a morally compromised person. They would walk into a home, pick up a gun, and shoot somebody in the back. I know what you did, Taylor. You did that. You shot Bill," Brooke accused.
At Donna and Pam's shared desk in the Forrester corridor, Pam stopped Donna from grabbing the stapler and asked what they'd said about reaching. Donna asked if she needed a reservation to use it, and Pam said she'd get Donna her own. Donna asked for the hole punch, and when Pam started to retrieve it, Donna snatched up the stapler and cackled victoriously.
Pam tried to get the stapler back, but the laughing Donna wouldn't let it go. As Quinn headed into the design office, she quipped that the two should staple themselves together because they were so inseparable. Quinn went into the design office, and Pam said it had been an excellent strategy for Donna not to speak to Quinn. Pam thought it added to Donna's air of mystery.
As Pam made a call, she said she didn't know where Leslie was. Figuring Leslie was on her way, Pam gave up on the call. Donna gleaned that Eric was waiting to do a fitting with Leslie. Pam remarked that he always used Leslie when he was working on a super special gown.
Donna asked if Pam really thought Donna had an air of mystery. Pam explained that Donna had the air of a good princess trapped in a tower by the mean witch out to steal her true love. Pam said Donna should never fear because it was Pam to the rescue. "Some tower," Donna quipped, glancing at their desk.
In the design office, Quinn arrived and joked to Eric that the "Lucy and Ethel" show was going on in the hall. Eric said he liked it, and Donna softened Pam's edginess. Quinn wasn't sure if Donna had any clerical skills, but Quinn believed that Pam had drafted Donna for her "honey-bear" talent. "Honey bear," Quinn called Eric in a sexy tone, and he perked up with interest.
Eric didn't want Quinn to take Pam's perpetual scheming personally. Quinn replied that being despised was her superpower. He asked that Quinn not take it out on Donna, who was doing her best in her own way to soften Pam's edges.
Eric added that Donna knew he was a happily married man. "Are you?" Quinn wondered. Eric replied that if she had to ask, then he was doing something wrong. Flashing Eric a sultry look, Quinn said she knew she was a handful, but she adored him.
By a clothes rack, Quinn sounded out a burlesque tune and swung one of the hanging gowns around at her hips. Eric said she was distracting him. She stated that Leslie was already late anyway. He replied that it was how Leslie rolled. Posing sensually, Quinn said she wasn't Leslie's size, but "would you like me to model for you?"
Eric tossed aside his glasses and roped Quinn into his arms. He stated that it was very bad form to work with a model that he desired. He kissed his wife and told her to get out of there before he took her clothes off her. "Talk about mixed messages," she quipped and strode out.
Quinn slipped by Pam and Donna in the corridor as the two were handling a call from Leslie, who was informing them that she had to change a tire on the freeway. Pam said Leslie couldn't do it because she'd be all greasy at the fitting. Pam was shocked when Leslie explained that it was her rideshare driver's car. As Pam complained about it, Leslie clicked off the line.
Donna pitied Eric, who'd been working on the design all day. Pam replied that her mother had always said there was nothing more tragic than wasting time. Donna asked if Pam had considered earthquakes and tsunamis. Pam warned Donna against being so literal. Appearing to get an idea, Pam started fixing Donna's hair, and Donna asked what Pam was doing.
In the design office later, Eric wasn't happy to hear from Pam and Donna that Leslie wouldn't make it in. He guessed it couldn't be helped. Pam asked if Donna seemed to be of the same build as Leslie. Donna said that if Eric wanted another model, he'd call one.
Ignoring Donna, Pam suggested that Eric could at least try the gown on Donna, and that way, he could let production know whether it would be in the collection. Eric remarked that it wasn't a bad idea, and he asked if Donna would do it. Donna stammered, and Pam quipped that it wasn't the first job Donna had had to remove her clothes for.
Pam apologized for the bad joke and left the room. Donna told Eric that she was a fast dresser, and he said he remembered. Handing the gown to her, he warned her to watch out for pins. She replied that suffering made great art. "Someone else's suffering, not ours," Eric joked.
Later, Donna modeled the gown for Eric. He said it was beautiful. She uttered that it fit like a dream. He added that he hadn't meant just the dress.
In the CEO's office, Steffy asked Hope why she had told her mother about Taylor's part in Bill's shooting. Hope replied that Taylor hated no one more than Brooke. Steffy dismissed their mothers' feud, saying it had been going on for decades, and her mother would never do "that."
Hope stated that Taylor had done it; Taylor had shot Bill in the back, and Hope had felt obligated to tell her mother what Taylor was capable of. Hope said that no one would go to the police, and she wouldn't tell another soul.
It wasn't Hope that Steffy was worried about. Hope insisted that she'd had to tell her mother for her mother's own safety and that Brooke knew not to tell anyone. Steffy asked if there had ever been a secret that Brooke had kept.
Steffy didn't know where the image of Taylor as a hardened criminal had derived from. In Steffy's view, the shooting had been a one-time mistake over a lifetime of service to the community, patients, and family. Hope understood Steffy's view but reminded Steffy of how Taylor had behaved with Hope and Brooke that day.
Steffy dismissed the behavior as Taylor being protective of her daughter. Hope asserted that something had snapped in Taylor when she'd learned that her daughter had slept with Bill, and Taylor didn't want to hear that her perfect daughter had done something like that.
Hope said it wasn't Steffy's fault because Steffy had taken responsibility for her actions. The problem was that Taylor wouldn't accept it. Taylor had a rage boiling inside her with nowhere to go, and Hope believed that she and her mother were easy targets for Taylor.
Steffy persisted in her belief that Taylor wouldn't hurt Hope or Brooke. Hope couldn't be confident of it and said that if she could have stopped her mother from confronting Taylor, she would have. Steffy asked what Hope was talking about and where Brooke was. Hope replied that Brooke was probably wherever Taylor was.
Later, Steffy tried calling her mother, to no avail. She was worried that Taylor had been arrested, but Hope said they would have heard about it already. Steffy didn't know why Hope hadn't thought it through. She said that because of Hope, Brooke had all the ammunition she needed to get Taylor out of the way for good.
At the cliff house, Taylor didn't even know what Brooke was talking about. As if not caring to find out, Taylor turned, saying she needed to check on her granddaughter. Brooke snatched Taylor's bag off the coffee table and started going through it.
Taylor whipped back around to get her bag back. As the women scuffled over it, Taylor asked what Brooke thought she was doing. Brooke said she was doing what anyone would do when there was a shooter in the house.
Winning control of the bag, Brooke continued to go through it. Taylor asked if Brooke really thought Taylor was carrying a gun around. Brooke replied that she'd be a fool not to check. Satisfied that there was no weapon in the bag, Brooke stopped searching.
Brooke said Taylor had been "so respectable" once. She knew that Taylor had had her shady moments, as everyone did; however, Brooke was outraged that not only had Taylor shot Bill in the back, but she'd let Ridge, the man she'd fought over for many years, end up in jail for it.
In despair, Taylor sank down on the couch. She said that a person went around thinking that the world was a better place because she was in it, but one day, that person did something to make her realize that everything she'd been telling herself about her life was a lie. Taylor stated that she was more shocked by her actions than Brooke could ever be.
Taking a seat in a nearby chair, Brooke conveyed that she'd never thought Taylor was an angel like others did, but she'd never thought Taylor was a killer, either. Brooke knew that Taylor hadn't actually killed anyone yet, but it didn't excuse anything, as far as Brooke was concerned.
Taylor recalled that she'd had to control her responses in therapy sessions with patients who'd done horrendous things but who'd sworn that they hadn't meant to do it and that it hadn't been like them to act that way. Taylor remembered thinking, "You don't know yourself very well then." Taylor claimed she'd come to understand that anyone was capable of anything.
Brooke supposed that it was easier for Taylor to make others look bad and say anyone could have done it than it was to own up to who she was. Taylor figured it might suit Brooke to label Taylor as a monster, and it might even get her locked up. Sobbing, Taylor insisted that it wasn't her, and if Brooke was honest for once in her life, she'd know it wasn't.
Brooke admitted that, despite their tumultuous relationship, she'd never feared that Taylor would shoot her. She wondered if an argument had precipitated the shooting. Taylor yelled that Bill had assaulted her daughter. Brooke replied that Ridge and Taylor wanted to believe that, but Steffy denied it had been that way.
Taylor believed that someone had needed to confront Bill, and she was one of the few people who knew how weak he was. "Weak? Bill?" Brooke asked. Taylor asked what Brooke thought he was hiding behind his mask of charm and power.
Taylor revealed that Bill had put the brakes on therapy between him and Katie because he'd known that Taylor knew exactly how to take him down. Brooke rendered an appalled expression. "Verbally! Verbally!" Taylor clarified. She claimed it had been all she'd wanted to do the night of the shooting. She'd planned to use words, but not a word had passed between them.
A flashback of the shooting played as Taylor explained that she'd gone to Bill's house, her former home. She'd seen Bill's profile in the reflection of the glass. His back had been to her, and he'd been as vulnerable as her daughter had been.
Taylor had noticed the gun, but she didn't know why she'd grabbed it and loaded it. She hadn't heard the shot and only remembered seeing Bill drop. Sobbing hysterically, Taylor said that, in that moment, she'd realized that the life she'd just ended had been her own.
Brooke retrieved a glass of water for Taylor and said they didn't have to discuss it further. Taylor asked what Brooke would do about what she knew. Brooke asked what Taylor would do if it was one of her patients. Taylor replied that she'd be required to report it -- only if she believed that someone else was in danger of a future violent attack.
Brooke questioned Taylor about whether Brooke or her daughter were in danger. Taylor insisted that they weren't. Taylor offered to sign a waiver so that Brooke could talk to Taylor's therapist. Brooke asked what the doctor would say. Taylor replied that the therapist would tell Brooke about Taylor's progress. Taylor was sure her therapist didn't think she was a danger to anyone.
Taylor asked what Brooke would do if an older man had hounded Hope relentlessly for sex and had left Hope as a single mother with a broken heart and marriage. Brooke stated that it could never happen, but Taylor said the impossible happened every day. Brooke replied that she got Taylor's outrage at Bill, but it was attempted murder they were talking about.
Taylor said it made everything she touted about relationships and solving conflicts without anger into a lie. Brooke reasoned that Taylor would be a real hypocrite to pick up where she'd left off. Taylor figured that she might be able to help others with more empathy than she'd ever had. Taylor just wanted to be there for her daughter and granddaughter. She believed the healing would begin there -- if Brooke let it.
Taylor stated that Brooke had her right where Brooke wanted her. With one word from Brooke, Taylor would disappear into the correctional system. She asked if it was Brooke's ultimate dream and desire. Brooke admitted that it had been on some days.
Though Taylor felt that begging Brooke had never done Taylor any good, she decided to beg Brooke to let Taylor be useful to someone in society, even if it was just to the little girl in the other room. Sobbing again, Taylor sank to her knees, imploring Brooke. "Please...please..." Taylor cried, touching Brooke's ankles and hands. Taylor stated that her future and freedom were in Brooke's hands.
Due to CBS News coverage of the funeral for George H.W. Bush, The Bold and the Beautiful did not air. While this was not a planned preemption, there were no "lost" episodes as a result of the preemption.
Regular programming resumed on Thursday, December 6, and picked up where the Tuesday, December 4 episode concluded.
In the CEO's office, Ridge arrived at the behest of his solemn daughter. He asked what was going on and if Kelly was okay. Steffy said that it wasn't about Kelly. Relieved, he asked why Steffy had summoned him. Steffy explained that it was her mother, and something had happened between Taylor and Bill.
Upset, Ridge asked if Bill had done anything to Taylor. Steffy replied that it was just the opposite. She became tearful as she revealed that Taylor had shot Bill.
At the cliff house, Taylor rose from her knees as she continued to implore Brooke not to turn her in for shooting Bill. Taylor gave her word that she'd never, ever do anything like it again. Brooke didn't think Taylor could promise such a thing and asked what would happen if Taylor snapped again. Taylor promised not to, and she begged Brooke not to say anything to anyone.
Brooke wanted to believe that Taylor wasn't a threat, but because of what Taylor had done, Brooke wasn't even sure about leaving the baby alone with Taylor. Yelling, Taylor asked how Brooke dared to say that when Kelly was Taylor's granddaughter. Brooke claimed that Taylor's reaction to Brooke's comment was exactly the type of reaction that worried Brooke.
Taylor began whining about the idea that Brooke would actually turn her in. Brooke decided that, for Steffy and Ridge's sakes, Brooke would not turn Taylor in; however, Brooke intended to keep a very close watch on Taylor.
Later, Ridge and Steffy arrived. Taylor emerged from the bedroom, where she'd just put the baby down for a nap. Surprised to see Ridge, Taylor said she would have kept the baby up if she'd known he'd be there. Studying the grave looks on Ridge and Steffy's faces, Taylor said, "Steffy. Oh, no, Steffy, you didn't. You did. You told your father?"
Ridge stated that he knew Taylor had shot Bill. Taylor apologized for the position she'd put everyone in, and she insisted that she wasn't that kind of person. Ridge said that he knew it. Taylor insisted that she wasn't sick or evil. Ridge agreed. Taylor explained that she'd been heartbroken over Bill taking advantage of their daughter. Ridge affirmed that Bill had done that.
"No, he didn't! It was my decision to be with Bill, and I regret it," Steffy asserted. She told her parents to stop using her as an excuse to hate Bill. Taylor persisted in believing that Steffy had been weak and vulnerable, and Bill had taken advantage of her. Agreeing, Ridge said he didn't condone the shooting, but Taylor had had a reason to be angry.
Steffy clarified that her mother had been angry because Ridge had called Taylor and had gotten her all riled up, but if Steffy had been the one to tell Taylor, everything probably would have turned out okay. Taylor didn't want Steffy to blame her father. Steffy didn't; however, she said that every action had consequences, and they were all worried that Taylor would get arrested.
Taylor believed Ridge had been right to tell her, but she'd reacted inappropriately. Ridge insisted that she'd only been defending their daughter from a despicable human being. Though Taylor shared Ridge's feelings about Bill, part of her was grateful to him because he was the only reason she wasn't in jail.
Steffy, Ridge, and Taylor sat together in the living room. Taylor thought it was right that Ridge knew, especially because Hope and Brooke did. Taylor remarked that Brooke had already been there, giving Taylor a piece of her mind. Steffy said Brooke had better not go to the police.
Taylor relayed that Brooke had said she wouldn't, but Brooke planned to keep an eye on Taylor. Getting upset, Taylor said Brooke had even suggested that it was a bad idea for Taylor to be around her own granddaughter. Steffy called it ridiculous and said she wanted Taylor to spend time with the baby. All Taylor wanted to do was spend time with her girls, but "Brooke is trying..."
Ridge said Brooke wasn't trying anything, and Brooke was all about family. Taylor yelled that she was afraid she'd be hauled off to jail, and she needed Ridge's help more than ever.
Taylor said that being with Ridge had been the happiest time of her life; however, Brooke had destroyed it and taken everything from Taylor. Taylor was terrified that Brooke would turn her in. Ridge said Brooke had already promised not to. Taylor yelled that Brooke had lied to her before.
Ridge told Taylor to give the past a rest for a moment. He promised that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Though they'd had their problems in the past, he had a soft spot in his heart for the mother of his children. He said they all made mistakes, and all they could do was learn from them. He believed in Taylor and wouldn't let her be separated from her daughter or granddaughter.
At Spencer, Justin gestured to a large sketch Bill was reviewing at his desk. Justin said it was Bill's dream girl, but Bill planned to just let her slip away. As if fighting temptation, Bill retracted his hands from the drawing and said he didn't feel the same way about "her" anymore. Justin concluded that Bill really was going soft on him.
"You know, I'm gonna knock you out. What do you have to give me a hard time for? I'm trying to better myself, my family," Bill replied. Justin figured Bill was doing it all for Brooke.
Bill handed Justin a list of charities that might be a good fit for the old Spectra property. Justin noticed that they were charities dear to Brooke. Bill claimed that he trusted her because she had good taste. "Then why is she with Ridge and not you?" Justin quipped. Bill responded that he was working on it.
Back on the topic of the building, Justin wasn't sure Bill really wanted to break up with "that beauty." To Bill, it sounded like Justin was the one with a crush on "Sky." Justin readily admitted it, citing the fact that she would have been the tallest building in the city if Bill hadn't chosen to give her up for charity. Bill replied that he was evolving, becoming more spiritual. "Ha, ha! Please," Justin responded.
Bill asked what was so funny about it. He asked why he couldn't be spiritual and then insisted that he could be "damn" spiritual. He wanted to put less emphasis on acquiring things and power and put more on what really mattered to him.
Just then, Brooke arrived, and Justin exited. Glad to see her, Bill asked why she was there. Brooke said she'd thought a lot about the issues he'd gone through that year. She said he'd made it through and become a better person. She'd seen him show forgiveness and mercy. She remembered being afraid when he'd been in the hospital. She hadn't wanted to lose him.
Brooke knew that Bill had enemies, but she hadn't been able to figure out who'd want to put a bullet in his back. "But now I know. It was Taylor," she concluded. Bill looked surprised. Brooke said he didn't have to continue protecting Taylor in front of Brooke.
Bill replied that the investigation was still ongoing, and only a handful of others knew about Taylor's role in it. Brooke still couldn't believe Taylor had done it or could be that violent. Brooke was amazed that Bill had kept the secret. He explained that he'd done it for Steffy. Brooke replied that he could have sought retribution, but he hadn't.
Bill replied that he was improving himself, and though Brooke was still with Ridge, Bill was committed to being a better man, a man worthy of her. Brooke could see the changes he was making, and she was proud of him.
Brooke conveyed that she'd decided against turning Taylor in, for Ridge and Steffy's sakes. It bothered Brooke that Taylor still seemed volatile. Brooke intended to keep an eye on Taylor and advised Bill to do the same.
Bill believed that he could handle Taylor. Brooke replied that she was worried about Kelly. He conveyed that Liam shared the same concern. Bill, however, sensed that Taylor's misguided feelings were directed at him and only him, and Taylor wouldn't hurt Kelly. Brooke agreed that it might not happen intentionally, but Brooke worried that Kelly might get caught in the middle of something, some sort of accident.
Bill asked if Brooke was suggesting that Taylor shouldn't be alone with Kelly. Brooke wondered what would happen if Taylor had a relapse or drank too much one night. Brooke didn't trust Taylor and thought that Bill should do what he could to protect Kelly.
In the design office, Donna stood on a step cushion as Eric visually critiqued the design she wore. In her view, it fit like a glove. She sucked in a breath and tried to contain herself as Eric ran his hands over her stomach, turning her to and fro as he checked the waistline.
Eric and Donna agreed that having her model the gown had been a good idea from Pam. Donna said she hadn't thought Pam would think Donna was worthy of modeling one of Eric' designs. Eric noted that Pam and Donna had made a lot of progress in their relationship. Donna remarked that Pam was a lot of fun, but she warned him not to get on Pam's bad side.
As Eric pinned cuffs on the gown, Donna complimented Eric's work and said it was fun to model again, even if it was only for a day. He told her that she was a natural.
In the corridor, Quinn rounded the corner to go into the design office, but Pam stopped her, claiming to want to talk about a chair Quinn had wanted to order. Pam diverted Quinn's attention to a supply catalog. Quinn said she couldn't because she was very busy that day.
Pam persisted in trying to get Quinn to review the catalog. Pam recalled that Quinn had a back problem and needed a new chair. Quinn said it had been "like three years ago," and because Pam had refused to help, Quinn had just bought one herself. Pam asked if Quinn would look at the chairs for Pam. "Because now, I've got a bad back. Crazy, right?" Pam responded.
Tapping down her frustration, Quinn began flipping through the catalog. "There. That chair. It's perfect," Quinn said, stabbing her finger at a listing in the catalog. Quinn tried to go into the design office again, but Pam slipped in front of her with another problem.
That time, Pam claimed she needed help with a scratch on her pearls. Annoyed, Quinn said she'd already told Pam that she was busy. Pam explained that the pearls had belonged to her mother, who'd actually gotten them from Nana Miriam.
Quinn cut in on Pam's spiel, asking why she was getting the impression that Pam was trying to stop her from seeing Eric. Pam picked up a plate of desserts and asked if having a lemon bar was out of the question. "I absolutely hate your lemon bars. Now move out of my way," Quinn replied with calm in her voice, but fire in her eyes.
Pam stepped aside, and Quinn opened the door to the design room. She was taken aback to see Donna modeling for Eric as the two laughed about some wine incident at a gala they'd attended together in the past.
"Oh, there you are," Eric said to Quinn and asked for her thoughts on the first design of the new collection. "What do I think?" Quinn asked. "I think, 'I wonder what's going on here.'"
Later, Pam entered as Eric was chatting with Quinn about possible changes to the design. Pam said Donna should get her hands on it, but Donna replied that she was just wearing it the one time. Quinn was confused as to why the receptionist was wearing the dress at all. Eric explained that Leslie hadn't been able to make it, and Pam said Leslie had had a flat tire.
Quinn assumed that Donna had stepped in to help. Eric revealed that it had been Pam's idea, and Quinn nodded knowingly. Pam shrugged as Quinn stared at her.
In Brooke's bedroom, Brooke sat on the bed, reading, and Ridge sat on the settee by the window. He noted that she was quiet that night, and she quipped, "Lucky you." He replied that he liked when she talked and the sound of her voice. In unison, the two began to express that they needed to talk. Brooke asked who'd say it first.
Walking around the bed, Brooke wondered why they hadn't seen it coming. Ridge didn't know how they could have predicted that Taylor would shoot someone, but Brooke replied that Taylor had been out of it the past few years. Brooke said Taylor wasn't just wacky; she was dangerous.
Brooke suggested that Ridge might lack objectivity about Taylor, but Ridge insisted that he got where Taylor stood. Brooke warned Ridge that he wasn't doing Taylor any favors by not being realistic about the situation. He asked if being realistic meant he had to agree with Brooke that Taylor was dangerous and that there was something wrong with her.
In Ridge's opinion, Taylor had defended her daughter. Brooke countered that Steffy had made a choice that night. Ridge yelled that Steffy had chosen to be alone, but Bill hadn't allowed it. Ridge called Bill a dangerous predator. "That's not what Steffy says," Brooke replied.
Ridge said the life of his strong, beautiful daughter had been destroyed. Steffy had had to beg Liam for forgiveness, but Bill hadn't let that reconciliation stand, either. Ridge didn't know what Brooke wanted him to do. Brooke gleaned that Ridge didn't seem to blame Taylor at all. Ridge asked why he'd blame Taylor when, given the same circumstances, he might have done it, too.
Slipping her hands under his elbows, Brooke uttered that there was no way she'd ever believe Ridge would try to shoot Bill. Ridge started to kiss her, but he pulled back, stating that her faith in him was touching. He believed she gave him too much credit, but she insisted that she knew him better than he knew himself.
Brooke reasoned that Ridge, like most, wasn't capable of the shooting; however, Taylor had done it on impulse. In Brooke's view, it was crazy; they couldn't ignore it, and sweeping it under the rug would give Taylor permission to do something worse the next time. Ridge said Brooke acted as if Taylor was a gun-toting killer, but Spencer's behavior had triggered Taylor.
Brooke persisted in trying to convince Ridge that Taylor had been off for months, and Taylor couldn't even encounter Brooke without screaming and yelling. Brooke was used to it, but Taylor had started doing it to Brooke's pregnant daughter. Ridge admitted that Taylor was a little high-strung. Brooke said it was more serious than that.
"And now she's here in L.A., spending time with Steffy and Kelly," Brooke said. Ridge explained that Taylor needed her family, but Brooke expressed fear that Taylor might act on impulse again. "I mean, there's a baby there!" Brooke exclaimed. Ridge asked what Brooke was getting at, and Brooke said she didn't think Taylor should be left alone with Kelly. It wasn't Brooke's intention to hurt Taylor. Brooke just wanted to protect Kelly and wouldn't even suggest it if Taylor hadn't shot Bill.
Defending Taylor, Ridge said she'd snapped for reasons that some might understand. Brooke replied that it wasn't understandable to shoot someone in the back. Brooke wondered who'd be hurt if Taylor snapped again.
Ridge understood that Brooke wanted to protect the baby, but he felt that she was overreacting. Brooke huffed and started pacing. He asked Brooke to find some motherly understanding. He asked what she'd do if it had been Hope. Brooke claimed it wasn't that she had no empathy. She was just frightened. She asked once more what would happen if Taylor snapped again.
Ridge respected Brooke's opinion, but he completely disagreed with it. "Great," Brooke sarcastically replied. She said it was okay because whatever happened outside their bedroom doors would happen. They'd love each other no matter what.
Ridge said "they'd" thrown a lot of obstacles at him and Brooke, and he didn't want Taylor getting between them. He stated that Spencer was remaining silent, and they should do the same. Ridge asked if she could do it for him. Brooke smiled and kissed him. As they hugged, she looked worried.
At Steffy's house, Taylor was holding Kelly and noting that the place looked nice for the party. Setting bottles of wine on a table, Steffy clarified that it wasn't really a party. She was just having the Intimates team over to thank them for their hard work.
Taylor decided to put Kelly to bed and said she'd stay out of Steffy's way. Steffy stated that she wanted her mother to stay. Taylor found the sentiment refreshing because Brooke thought Taylor was too dangerous to be around her own granddaughter. Steffy said it was a ridiculous notion, but she pointed out that there would be alcohol. Taylor claimed it wouldn't be a problem.
Later, Sally and Wyatt arrived. Steffy introduced them to Taylor and said they could help themselves to the spirits on the table. As Steffy complimented Wyatt and Sally's work, Xander and Zoe arrived with Zoe's father. Zoe remarked that Danny couldn't be there because he had to work at "Bikini."
Zoe introduced her father as her dad, and he told them that he was Reese Buckingham. Steffy introduced her mother to him as Dr. Taylor Hayes, and he noted that he and Taylor had something in common.
As the party continued, Zoe stood close to Xander and said that it felt familiar to her to steal a moment with him. He replied that old habits were hard to break. She said she'd tried to tell him, but he hadn't wanted to listen because he'd been caught up in Emma.
"Well, I hear you now," Xander told Zoe. She asked if it was okay to spend time together and "take it slow." He said that it felt right to him, and she kissed him.
Wyatt and Sally emerged from the bedroom and told Steffy, who was sitting with Reese and Taylor, how cute the baby was. Steffy replied that she and Liam thought so, too. Gesturing to the portrait on the wall, Reese assumed Liam was her husband. Everyone in the room became silent, and Wyatt and Sally excused themselves to get a drink.
Reese apologized for being presumptuous. Steffy said there was no need to apologize. She explained that Liam was Wyatt's brother and her child's father, and though Liam was in the child's life, her marriage to him had ended. Reese was sorry to hear it. Steffy said it was okay.
"Except it isn't," Taylor stated. She told Reese that the couple would still be together if it hadn't been for outside influences. Steffy asked her mother not to do "this," but Taylor insisted that it was true. Taylor explained that Steffy and Hope, Liam's new wife, had been rivals for years -- just like the women's mothers. Taylor claimed that Hope had waited around for problems in Steffy's marriage, and the moment the problems had materialized, Hope had pounced.
Wyatt said that it wasn't true. Steffy didn't want to bore everyone with the story, but Reese replied that he wasn't bored. Taylor persisted, saying the picture on the wall represented the life that Liam and Steffy should be sharing.
Steffy stared around in embarrassment, and Taylor apologized to Reese for going on like that. Reese didn't think there was a need to be sorry. He understood parental love and said he felt the same way about Zoe. Taylor was glad "to be understood."
Off to the side later, Reese told Taylor that she might not remember, but they'd met before at a conference at which she'd spoken about childhood development. "Oh, I remember that," Taylor beamed. He conveyed that at that event, he'd been impressed with her insights.
Taylor asked about Reese's specialty, and he explained that he was in OB/GYN. He'd transferred to Los Angeles and was also putting in time at a clinic in Catalina. Tugging the nearby Zoe, Taylor told her that she should be happy to have her father around.
"It's great," Zoe murmured. Taylor noted that Reese didn't have a British accent. Zoe explained that her mother was British. Reese added that they'd divorced when Zoe had been very little.
By the fireplace later, Xander and Zoe observed Taylor and Reese. Xander noted that it was interesting that the pair was talking so much.
Steffy gathered everyone to thank them for the success of their line. She also thanked her mother for loving her, supporting her, and teaching her to be a parent. Before Kelly's birth, Steffy hadn't realized what a selfless act parenting was.
The coworkers toasted and chatted, but Taylor looked gloomy. Reese asked if she was okay. She wasn't sure she deserved the praise from Steffy. He said that they'd just met, but he was a good listener if she needed to talk. Taylor warned that once she started talking, she might not stop. Reese grinned as if he had no problem with that.
Reese prodded Taylor to open up, and she said she'd been through a lot. She was trying to rise above it all and be a good mother and grandmother. Reese didn't need anyone to tell him that she was wonderful. All he had to do was look at the amazing Steffy and know that Taylor had been a sterling role model. He also noted that Taylor was an accomplished doctor.
Reese understood the passion and dedication it took and asked if she ever missed practicing. Taylor did. He asked what was stopping her from getting back to it. She responded that she'd had some issues. He wondered if the issues were financial, but she thanked goodness that money had never been a problem. She revealed that she'd battled alcohol in the past. She'd battled other demons, too, including a blonde one named Brooke.
Reese asked who that was, and Taylor said he didn't want her to tell him. He stood expectantly, and she summarized her belief that her nemesis Brooke had stolen her husband repeatedly and deprived her children of their family. Taylor insisted that history was repeating itself with Hope, Brooke's daughter. It upset Taylor to see Steffy go through with Hope the same thing that Taylor had gone through with Hope's mother.
Taylor claimed that Brooke was reinserting herself into Taylor's life and telling her to stay away from her own granddaughter. Reese was amazed that Brooke would try to keep Taylor from her grandchild. Taylor apologized for dumping it all on him, but he claimed to be happy she could be open with him. Taylor said there was something about him that was very easy to trust.
