At the police station, Brooke tried to get Sanchez to understand that Bill might be trying to convince himself that Ridge had been the shooter. Sanchez asked if Bill would do that when the real shooter could try it again. Brooke said Sanchez needed to understand how much Bill despised Ridge. She was sure that if Sanchez interviewed Bill again, Bill would change his mind and say he hadn't seen who'd shot him.
Sanchez said there was more to his case than Bill's testimony. Brooke doubted it would hold up in court. Sanchez asked where her law degree was from, but she quipped that it wouldn't take a law degree to figure out that Bill would be laughed off the stand. Brooke insisted that Ridge was innocent and that Bill knew it.
Brooke wanted to know why Ridge was behind bars if Sanchez was still investigating. Sanchez knew that she was having a hard time with it. Brooke asked if he knew how scary it was for her to have her future in the police's hands. She urged him to talk to Bill, who had to be lucid by then. She instructed Sanchez to ask if Bill had seen Ridge pull the trigger.
In the interrogation area, Steffy was with Ridge. She held out hope that Liam could reason with Bill about who the perpetrator really was, and she was adamant that Ridge would be released that night. Ridge liked her confidence, but he needed to get back to his cell. Steffy wouldn't hear of it and said they were staying there until Ridge got released.
Ridge appreciated Steffy's support, but he wanted her to leave before she gave birth there. Steffy assured him that she'd leave before she gave birth -- or got hungry. He expressed concern that the police might keep him even if Bill recanted his statement.
Steffy doubted the determined Brooke would let that happen, even if she had to go to Baker's house to demand justice. Steffy and Ridge agreed that he was lucky to have Brooke. Ridge felt lucky to have two strong women like Steffy and Brooke on his side.
At the hospital, Bill asked what Liam was talking about. Bill was insistent that Ridge had been the shooter. Liam confessed that he, not Ridge, had been the one to shoot Bill. Bill said it was stupid and ridiculous. Even though Bill knew that Liam hated him, Bill said that Liam couldn't and wouldn't. Liam replied that he had.
Bill didn't understand why Liam was saying such things. Liam said he'd been there, and he'd seen Bill on bended knee. Liam stated that he'd seen Bill proposing to Liam's pregnant wife. Bill replied that Liam seeing it didn't have anything to do with Ridge's actions.
Liam stated that he'd done it. It didn't make sense to Bill. He asked why Liam hadn't charged into the house to stop the proposal. Bill didn't think Liam would walk away and then show up at the house later to shoot Bill. Bill asked why Liam hadn't said anything earlier. Liam replied that he hadn't been himself, and he'd just remembered what he'd done.
Liam explained that, while visiting Steffy, he'd had flashes of that night and seeing the proposal. He'd tripped over a branch, and he believed he might have had a concussion. Bill said it was like when Quinn had taken Liam. Agreeing, Liam said he hadn't known who he was or where he'd been, but it was all returning to him. He'd even found sheepskin gloves in his car. Liam said he'd followed Bill home. The music had been blaring, and Bill hadn't heard Liam enter, cock the gun, or shoot him in the back.
Bill asked if Liam was telling the truth. Liam affirmed it. Bill called Liam a "little "bastard." Bill began to get upset, and outside the door, Hope could hear raised voices. Bill called Liam a coward for shooting Bill in the back and asked what kind of son did such a thing. Liam asked what kind of father proposed to his pregnant daughter-in-law.
Bill and Liam began yelling at each other. Though Liam was glad that Bill was okay, Liam asked if it didn't make sense that it had happened after what Bill had done. "Hell, no! What's wrong with you?" Bill raged.
Hope rushed in and told the men to keep it down before others heard them. Bill scoffed, mocking Liam for having his "little guard" posted at the door while Liam finished the job. Calling Bill a psycho, Liam said he was there to make sure Bill did the right thing regarding Ridge. "By turning you in? You're damn right!" Bill exclaimed.
Hope told Bill that he would get Ridge out of jail and protect Liam at the same time. She claimed that Liam was a good person, and Bill had practically put the gun in Liam's hand and dared him to pull the trigger. She asked if Bill thought that Liam was capable of murder. She said Bill had pushed Liam to the edge and broken him. She yelled that Bill would fix it by getting Ridge out of jail and making sure that Liam would never go in.
Bill started yelling at Hope while she spoke. He said he was lying in a hospital bed. He began writhing in pain, but Hope kept yelling, saying Bill owed Liam and Steffy for what Bill had done. In Hope's view, a bullet wasn't enough, and Bill owed Liam and Steffy their marriage and their life together. Hope said it was exactly what Bill would give them.
"The hell I will!" Bill roared. Bill said he'd almost died, and he didn't have to listen to the nonsense. Liam stated that Bill did. Bill insisted that he didn't and said Liam could tell it to his therapist. Bill was ashamed that Liam couldn't take ownership of what he'd done. Hope told Bill to show his son how a man took responsibility.
Bill asked if Hope really thought Liam had no responsibility. Hope said that Liam did, but Bill had to accept his fault because none of it would have happened if Bill hadn't gone to Steffy the night she and Liam were apart or gone to her again to propose on the night of the shooting. Hope said that Bill couldn't let an innocent man stay in prison, nor could Bill put his son there. She asked Bill to say that he knew it and would do right by his son.
Just then, Sanchez arrived. He remarked that he'd just been with Brooke, who was positive that her husband hadn't shot Ridge, and Brooke had asked Sanchez to question Bill again. Sanchez said that, oddly enough, Brooke didn't think that Bill would remain confident in his statement.
Sanchez stated that the police had the lambskin gloves, and even though Ridge's were leather, it didn't mean Ridge didn't have another type of gloves in his wardrobe. Sanchez felt that Bill's testimony would make the case, and he asked if Bill would testify that Ridge had shot him.
Bill said he couldn't testify to it, not anymore. He had really believed that Ridge had done it, but upon thinking more clearly, Bill couldn't say for sure that it had been Ridge. Bill said that, in fact, he could almost guarantee that it hadn't been Ridge. Sanchez asked how Bill could be so sure and if he'd seen someone else that night. "Can you tell me who tried to kill you, Mr. Spencer?" Sanchez asked, and Bill stared at Liam.
In Bill's room at the hospital, Sanchez noted that Bill had realized that Ridge was not the person who'd shot him. Sanchez wanted to know if Bill did remember who had shot him or if he'd seen the shooter. Hope and Liam were at Bill's bedside and looked worried.
Detective Sanchez added that he would release Ridge if Bill was sure that Ridge was not the shooter. Liam stepped in and asked to speak to the detective, but Bill said he wanted to talk. Bill claimed he'd had a glimpse of a man's reflection in the window glass. Sanchez asked if Bill was sure it had been a man, and Bill confirmed it was a man. Sanchez asked if it was someone Bill had known, and Bill answered that it was no one he had known and no one he had ever seen before.
Liam looked relieved. Sanchez wondered if Bill had lied when he'd claimed it had been Ridge who'd shot him. Bill shook his head and said the man had a similar build to Ridge. "I told you I thought it was him. No one hates me more than that guy, but I guess I was wrong," Bill said. Sanchez marveled that the shooter was "a complete stranger."
Sanchez was skeptical that Bill's story was true. He understood Bill's take on it was that a stranger had entered Bill's home, used his gun to shoot him in the back, not taken anything, and left. "You are now certain beyond a doubt that it was not Ridge Forrester. We arrested him for attempted murder," Sanchez lamented. Liam interrupted. "I think my father made it very clear it's not Ridge," Liam said.
Sanchez scoffed that some strange man had apparently shot Bill for no reason. Bill responded that he had plenty of enemies. Sanchez wondered if the shooter could be any of the suspects they already had, but Bill shook his head and said there were a lot of people in the world who had a grudge against him. Sanchez asked if the person was Caucasian, and Bill agreed.
Sanchez was frustrated. Bill reminded the detective that he had caught a glimpse of a man in the window. That was all. Sanchez suggested that if Bill had more of a description, they would consider it. Bill looked at Liam and said it was no one he had ever met before. "No one I ever want to see again," he said.
Sanchez objected that Bill had seen things more clearly after they'd made an arrest. "Ever been shot?" Bill asked. "Yes, more than once," Sanchez replied. Bill maintained that he'd felt he remembered things more clearly than he had when he'd first regained consciousness. Bill asked Sanchez to find the person who'd shot him.
"Ridge can be released?" Hope asked. Sanchez agreed and lamented that they had been holding an innocent man in jail. "If you remember anything, call me," Sanchez said to Bill, and he left. Bill scowled at Liam.
Bill asked what Hope and Liam were looking at. Liam thanked his father, and Bill said he knew Liam had been about to confess, and Liam said it was the right thing to do. Bill disagreed, and Liam wondered what had made Bill choose to protect Liam.
Bill said he'd considered what Hope had said -- that there had been enough pain. Bill said he'd survived a gunshot, and he worried that Liam was suffering from a concussion. Bill also credited Hope for reminding him that Liam had a lot to look forward to with a daughter on the way. Bill admitted that it was all his own fault, as others had said. Nothing would have happened "if I hadn't set it all in motion," Bill said. Liam thanked his father, and Bill apologized to Liam. Bill extended his hand to his son, and they clasped hands and looked emotional.
At Katie's, Wyatt and Katie were in bed, and they wondered who had shot Bill. They agreed that because of all the horrible things that Bill had done, he had almost died. They discussed how angrily Bill had reacted to their engagement. Katie left the room.
Wyatt flashed back to Bill's threats after he and Katie had announced their engagement. Bill had called Wyatt disgusting and had forbidden him and Katie to get married. Wyatt had announced, "We're getting married." Bill had responded, "Over my dead body."
Katie returned to the room, and she and Wyatt wondered who could have shot Bill. Wyatt guessed that Justin could be responsible. Katie noted that Quinn had been questioned too. Wyatt and Katie shared some wine and agreed that wondering who had shot Bill wasn't good bedroom talk, so they kissed and agreed to stop talking about Bill.
At the jail cell, Ridge sat with Steffy, and she promised they would get him out. Ridge blamed Bill and assumed that Bill would pursue Steffy as soon as he got out of the hospital. Steffy balked, but Ridge assumed that Bill wanted him locked up. He wished that whoever had shot Bill "would have finished him off."
Steffy ordered her father to stop talking. Brooke entered, and Ridge was glad to see her. He kissed her and hugged her. He and Brooke shared that they had missed each other. Brooke said that Detective Sanchez had gone to question Bill again. Steffy looked relieved. Brooke said she'd convinced Sanchez that Bill was lying. "You're incredible. Thank you," Ridge said.
Carter entered, and everyone asked him if there was any news. Carter said the bad news was they still had to get through a bail hearing. Carter wanted to prepare a defense. Sanchez entered and said that Bill had admitted he'd been confused, and Ridge was free to go. Ridge hugged Steffy and Brooke.
At Forrester, the staff had planned a surprise party for Ridge, who had just gotten out of jail the previous night. Maya, Thorne, Steffy, Wyatt, Quinn, Eric, Carter, Charlie, and Pam waited for Ridge to arrive. The crew wondered how anyone could surprise Ridge, but Steffy claimed that Brooke had it all under control.
Outside the office, Ridge wondered where everyone had been, and Brooke dismissed his concerns. Ridge opened the door to his office, and everyone surprised him. Ridge was thrilled and credited Brooke, his "temptress," for getting him out of jail and for the surprise. Everyone laughed that they had doubted Brooke's ability to surprise Ridge. "Let me show you how it's done," Brooke said and laughed.
Maya said that she had spoken to Rick on the phone, and they were glad to have him back. She teased that Rick had missed him, too. Pam said that R.J. wanted to video chat later. Steffy wondered where Hope had been.
Everyone celebrated and teased Ridge. Thorne said that things had gone really well without a CEO around. Eric teased that he had been CEO for decades "and never did a stitch of work."
Eric added that it didn't take much to be a CEO, but one had to be "incredibly attractive," be involved in a scandal "at least twice a year," and be arrested but not convicted. One had to be loved even by people who didn't love him every day, Eric added.
Ridge said it was great to get back to work. Maya announced that since Rick was away, she could sneak in compliments for Ridge. She said she knew that she and Ridge had not always seen eye to eye, but she called him "a great boss." She added that his personality was "completely in line with what Forrester is all about." She said he was sometimes sweet and playful, other times demanding, and she said it was true that everything had worked while he was gone, "but we didn't quite feel like ourselves."
Katie teased that she was really glad that Ridge had married her sister so she could start picking out his clothes again. Ridge wondered what was wrong with his clothes. Carter stepped up and said that after his brother had left Los Angeles, he'd had nothing keeping him in Los Angeles except his job. "I don't know when it happened, but I started thinking of you as my big brother," he said to Ridge.
Ridge thanked Carter and said that Carter was the person one wanted in his corner if one were ever wrongly accused of a crime. Talk momentarily turned to Bill and his cruel actions. Wyatt commented that he had tried to keep Bill from "evicting old ladies and orphans," but it was Bill's nature. Wyatt said he could be arrested next.
Eric added his comments and said that Ridge had scared him "half to death." Ridge teased that it was good for his circulation. Eric smiled and said that Ridge reminded him "too much of your mother." They embraced and told each other, "I love you."
At his hotel room, Liam awoke on his bed, and Hope was standing at the table. She said she had planned to make him coffee. Liam looked confused. She added that she hadn't wanted to leave him alone the previous evening.
Hope had slept in the chair next to Liam's bed. Liam thanked her for staying with him. He was afraid that if he had awakened alone after discovering that he had tried to murder his father, he might have been seriously depressed.
Hope wanted to take Liam out to breakfast. She wanted to go to her car to get a change of clothes. Liam worried that she would be late for work, but Hope wanted to stay. "You should go," Liam said.
Liam worried that he had a violent streak because he had "tried to kill a man -- not any man -- my own father." Liam asked, "Why doesn't that terrify you?" Hope admitted it scared her, but she felt it was horrible that he had been driven "to something like that."
Later, Hope had changed, and Liam hung up after a phone call with a medical office. He said that a doctor had promised to squeeze him in the next day, and Hope wished he could have gotten an earlier appointment. She said he needed to be evaluated for a concussion, and he'd had head injuries previously. Liam said he was scheduled for an MRI or CT scan and possibly a neuropsychology evaluation.
Hope worried that Liam had to be careful what he told the doctors. He said they had been concerned that he had blacked out or been doing drugs and alcohol, but Hope noted it had all been due to an accident.
Hope said that she didn't think of Liam as a dangerous person, but she did worry about what Bill and Steffy had driven him to do. She added that she had been supportive and wanted him to save his marriage and reconcile with Steffy, but she worried that Bill and Steffy had clearly been involved, and she wondered why his wife hadn't said no to Bill when they'd been together at the guesthouse.
Hope reminded Liam that he had always said that Bill and Steffy were more alike than he was like Bill or Steffy. She added that Bill had proposed to Liam's pregnant wife, but Liam added that Steffy had declined.
Hope called Steffy and Bill toxic and said they had put Liam between them for years. She remembered that they had worked together to manipulate people. She reminded Liam that it was Steffy and Bill who had worked to prevent Liam and Hope from seeing each other in Aspen and had trapped Hope in the gondola, where she'd had to watch Liam marry Steffy.
Hope felt that Steffy was somehow under Bill's spell. She worried that Liam didn't want to turn his back on his father and his wife, but they had turned their backs on him repeatedly. She encouraged Liam to end his marriage to Steffy and work with Hope at Forrester. She believed that Bill always got what he wanted and would stop at nothing to be with Steffy. It was just matter of time before it happened. Liam wondered what he should do if he still loved his wife.
Hope encouraged Liam to figure out what he wanted. She said that when she had initially returned, she'd figured he was happy with the perfect wife and that their time together was nothing but a beautiful memory, but all she had seen since then was Liam in pain. She encouraged Liam to get an annulment or a divorce. She added that she had always loved Liam; she couldn't remember a time when she hadn't, and she would always love him. "This doesn't feel like the past. It feels like another beginning," she said, and she kissed him. Liam caressed Hope's hair, and they embraced.
At Forrester, Ridge and Brooke sat alone and expressed their gratitude for how things had turned out. They laughed and discussed the surprise party for Ridge. Ridge said it was the best party, but Brooke said their wedding had been the best party ever. "Which one?" Ridge asked. They both giggled, and Brooke said there had been many, but they agreed the weddings all ran together into one big, long party.
Ridge thanked Brooke for all she had done, and Brooke said Steffy had been supportive and resourceful, as well. Ridge said he had been blessed, and he called Brooke his beautiful tiger. They kissed.
Outside Ridge's office, Steffy ran into Pam and asked again about Hope. Pam said she had been surprised that Hope would miss the surprise party for Ridge. Pam worried that Hope was sick, but Steffy looked suspicious and concerned.
In the photo studio, Eric, Quinn, Katie, Wyatt, Thomas, Pam, Charlie, and Sally sat around Pam's dessert tray. Eric said Pam made dessert by the pound, and Quinn asked if Pam and Charlie had stayed up all night to bake. Pam said she and Charlie hadn't been able to sleep because they'd been too excited about Ridge's release. Wyatt wanted to think that Bill regretted falsely accusing Ridge, but Wyatt knew that Bill rarely regretted anything.
Eric remarked that none of them had been the shooter, and Bill had said it had been a stranger. Eric wondered if anyone else besides him thought it was strange. The group discussed the suspects-- and many of them had been suspects until Bill had pointed the finger at Ridge. They wondered where the investigation would lead and if they'd ever find out who'd done it.
Quinn didn't think the detective would give up easily and remarked that the police had questioned each of them. Pam stated that the police had never questioned her. Katie asked why the police would. Charlie explained that Pam had been off her meds, and Pam said Charlie had thought she might have done it. Charlie responded that he hadn't really thought it. He'd just been concerned, but he knew that Pam would never do anything like that.
Thomas said it led them back to asking who had shot Bill. Wyatt noted that the police didn't have much evidence to go on, but no matter how anyone felt about Bill, Bill deserved to know who'd done it.
In the CEO's office, Steffy was grossed out when she walked in on Ridge and Brooke making out. Steffy had arrived to give Ridge a congratulatory hug and said she was glad Liam had gotten it done for them. Ridge replied that Liam was better than his father, who'd set Ridge up.
Steffy said Bill might have been confused when he'd accused Ridge. Ridge didn't want anyone giving Bill the benefit of the doubt. Steffy asked Brooke what she thought. Brooke believed Ridge had a right to be upset about the accusation, but it was time to focus on who had really shot Bill.
Steffy was surprised that Hope hadn't made it to the party and wondered if it was because Hope had stopped by Liam's room first. Steffy thought Hope was spending a lot of time with Steffy's husband. Brooke asked what Steffy was insinuating. Steffy said that Hope always seemed to make herself available to Liam as he went through his hard time.
Brooke stated that Liam and Hope were just friends, and Hope was Steffy's friend, too. Ridge agreed but said Hope still had feelings for Liam. Steffy noted that Hope had said she'd support Steffy's marriage, and Steffy said they had to hope it stayed that way.
Brooke asked if Hope had given Steffy reason to think Hope was trying to undermine Steffy. Though Steffy didn't really think it, she listed things Hope had done -- like telling Liam about the proposal first, hiring Liam to work on HFTF, and being Liam's sounding board.
Ridge said it couldn't go further than that and asked if Brooke agreed. Brooke stated that Ridge had said himself that Hope supported Steffy's marriage. Agreeing that he'd said it, Ridge stated that they also had to adhere to the delicate balance between friendship and Hope's feelings.
Steffy decided that she'd go to Liam's hotel to thank Liam for his help. She also planned to ask him to return home for their daughter's sake.
Later, Sally and Thomas arrived to fetch Ridge and Brooke for Pam, who wanted them to partake in her baked goods. In conversation, Brooke said she couldn't believe what Bill had done with Caroline. Thomas couldn't, either, but he said it was time to focus on the future. Thomas planned to be there for his son, but it was also time to focus on Sally.
To Brooke, it sounded as if someone had plans. Sally said Thomas was taking her to New York so they could be together. Ridge expressed happiness for the couple.
At the Dakota, Hope wasn't sorry that she'd kissed Liam or expressed her feelings. She, in fact, didn't know why she'd waited so long. Liam didn't feel worthy of her love. He said he'd almost tried to murder his father, and he didn't want to drag her down with him. Hope didn't condone what Liam had done and said it had been wrong; however, she knew what kind of man Liam was, and she vowed to always be by his side.
Liam wondered how he'd live with what he'd done. Hope said that Bill was a vile man, and he and Steffy had taken Liam to a dark place. Hope didn't condone what Liam had done, but she said no one had to know, especially not Steffy. Hope felt that Liam should move on and make a new life without Bill and Steffy.
Liam said that he'd stopped being the guy Hope knew the moment he'd tried to kill his father. He didn't know how to move on from it. Hope said it was why she was there. She'd tried to support his marriage, but she couldn't anymore. He didn't know what to do with what she was saying.
Hope refused to let Liam push her away. Hope believed that Steffy had been on her best behavior, but Steffy was really the same person who'd trapped Hope in the gondola, stolen Liam from Hope, and slept with Bill. Hope had wanted to believe that Steffy had changed, but it wasn't true. Hope believed Liam would be an amazing father, but she wouldn't let Steffy use the baby to hold onto Liam. Hope felt that Bill and Steffy had done enough damage.
Hope and Liam sat on the edge of the bed. Hope said she was done being nice. She'd returned to town to be with her family and revive her line, but if she was honest with herself, she'd admit she hadn't been able to get over Liam. She hadn't said anything right away out of respect for Liam's marriage, but she loved him. Hope wanted to help him have love and goodness. She knew Liam would always have a bond with Steffy because of the baby.
Though Hope hated to say it, she thought Liam should let Steffy and Bill be together if it was what they wanted. Hope believed it was what they wanted. In Liam's silence, she decided to stop talking. Liam touched Hope's thigh and said she was right about a lot of it, and he probably did need her. Hope believed that Bill wouldn't stop pursuing Steffy, and even though Steffy would resist for a while, she'd give in eventually.
Hope didn't want to watch it happen to Liam again and said he had to get out before it happened all over again. Liam stated that Hope had returned to town exactly when she'd needed him to. She said that, for a long time, the thought of returning had been too painful. Once she'd arrived, she'd wanted to try to be his friend and respect his marriage, but she couldn't do it in light of what Steffy and Bill had done.
Hope felt that Liam deserved much better. Liam told Hope that she was a miracle, and she could have any man in the world that she wanted. Hope uttered that he was the only man she wanted. Liam kissed her.
Someone knocked on the door, and Liam scoffed. He answered the door for Steffy, who strode inside and asked Hope for a moment alone with Steffy's husband. Hope told Liam that they'd talk later, and she exited the hotel room.
Steffy excitedly said Liam had to have heard that Ridge was out of jail and that Bill was out of the hospital. Liam nodded, and she thanked him for all he'd done to free her father. She believed it was time for Liam to get out of that depressing place. Liam looked around the room.
Steffy had wanted to say a lot to Liam at their dinner, but she hadn't gotten the chance. She said she really wanted them to be a family, and even though it would take work, it would make a huge difference if he moved back home. She caressed his neck and asked him to return home. "I know you want to," she said and kissed him. "Please come home," she pleaded.
At the Dakota, Steffy tried to convince Liam to move back to their home. She imagined how lonely it was to be at the hotel, but Liam murmured that he hadn't been totally alone. She said it still wasn't good for them to be apart.
Changing the subject, Steffy said she hated that, during their tough time, Liam had been the only one able to convince Bill about Ridge. Liam murmured that he'd been the only one who could get Bill to see the truth. Steffy replied that Ridge would never try to kill Bill, and Ridge wasn't a monster. Liam hesitated and reticently responded, "Yeah..."
Changing the subject again, Steffy noted that when she'd arrived, Liam and Hope had been acting as if they'd been trying to hide something. Steffy wanted to know if something was going on. Liam flashed back to shooting Bill. Liam seemed conflicted, and Steffy wanted to help. She mentioned the night with Bill, but Liam didn't want to talk about Bill.
Steffy wanted Liam and her to be completely open about things and not hide their feelings from then on out. Steffy got how hard it was to struggle with their problems while watching Bill struggle for his life. Liam asserted that she didn't, but she insisted that she did. Though she'd messed up, she believed it could be a new chapter for them.
Steffy didn't know why she and Liam were taking all that time apart. She felt that they needed to be together, and they needed to fix things. Liam agreed that time apart wouldn't fix it. He believed that they needed to move on, and she needed to do it with his father. Steffy asked Liam not to say things like that.
Liam said Steffy had been there for Bill at the hospital. Steffy asserted that she'd been there for Liam, she loved Liam, and she was married to Liam. Liam believed that it could all change, and because Steffy had been with Bill before, Liam thought she could be again. Steffy asked why Liam was saying such things. Liam flashed to the things Hope had said about Bill and Steffy.
Steffy declared that she didn't want to be with Bill. She only wanted to be with Liam, and she said Liam had to know that was true. Liam said he had thought he'd known his father and wife, but he hadn't. Liam added that he didn't even know himself. He told Steffy to go have scotch and cigars with Bill. Steffy said she didn't want to, but Liam exclaimed that she would eventually.
It didn't even sound like Liam to Steffy, and she asked if Hope was filling his head with stuff. Liam replied that his head was messed up. Steffy believed it had to be if he'd think she'd choose Bill over him. Steffy urged Liam not to listen to Hope, who didn't know what Liam and Steffy shared. Steffy asked him not to give up on them.
Later, Liam was alone. He flashed back on Steffy kissing him and asking him to return home. He thought of Hope's declaration of love.
At Forrester, Hope had arrived in the CEO's office and was talking to Ridge and Brooke about Hope missing the celebration earlier. The couple directed Hope to get some of the food Pam and Charlie had made, which had been moved to the backstage photo studio area.
Hope asked how the case was going. Ridge didn't care and said being released was his only concern. Hope stated that things couldn't go back to being the same after what had gone on. Ridge asked where Hope had been when she'd missed the party. Brooke stated that Steffy had thought Hope had been with Liam, and Brooke asked if that was true.
Hope admitted that she'd been to see Liam, and Ridge asked if Liam had requested the visit. Hope said she'd gone there on her own to check on him in his difficult time. Brooke figured Liam was relieved that Bill was out of the hospital. Hope affirmed it.
Ridge wondered what Liam had said to make Bill recant his statement. Hope replied that Bill hadn't wanted to hear it at first, and Ridge asserted that Bill knew Ridge wasn't the shooter. Hope repeated that Bill did indeed know that it hadn't been Ridge.
Later, Ridge had gone to a meeting, and Hope asked Brooke if they could talk about something before Ridge got back. Brooke agreed, and Hope wanted Brooke to know that Hope had advised Liam to stay away from Steffy and his father. Brooke asked why, and Hope said Liam had confided things in her. Hope was sure Steffy wouldn't like it, but it was for Liam's own sanity.
Hope believed Liam needed to get out of the marriage. She explained that she'd been helping Liam go through his issue while trying to maintain his principles, but the situation wasn't good for him. She thought Steffy and Liam would be amazing parents, but they couldn't be happy together because what Steffy and Bill had done went against everything Liam believed in.
Brooke reckoned that the indiscretion had caused tension. Hope wanted to call it what it was -- an affair. Hope said it had been a betrayal of the worst kind, and it was time everyone accepted that Liam couldn't accept it. Hope believed that some things couldn't be undone, and she said Bill's proposal hadn't just appeared out of nowhere. Brooke replied that Steffy hadn't accepted.
"Not this time," Hope replied. Hope believed Bill would keep trying, and she wondered how Liam was supposed to live like that. Hope reminded Brooke that Bill didn't give up until he got what he wanted, and he wanted Steffy. Brooke believed Steffy wanted to be with Liam. Hope didn't believe the situation was getting any better and said that Liam just needed to move on.
Ridge was returning as Hope spoke and asked her to repeat what Liam needed to do. Hope replied that Liam was just going through something. Ridge stated that Liam and Steffy were going through it together because of Bill's actions. Brooke told Ridge that Hope didn't think the couple would recover. Ridge didn't get why Hope would say that about the married couple and asked if she knew something they didn't.
Later, Hope strode into the design office and was about to use her phone. Steffy entered and closed the door. Steffy said she'd thought Hope had been supporting her and wondered what had changed. Hope replied that the whole thing was out of control and wasn't getting better. Steffy wondered if it had to do with Hope.
Hope asked if Steffy wanted Liam to be happy, and Steffy said of course. Hope asked if he seemed happy. Steffy said that he would be once they were able to focus on the marriage and the baby. Hope said things had been overwhelming for Liam. Steffy had noticed that Liam hadn't been the same, and she asked what Hope had said to him.
Hope began talking about the tension between Liam and Bill, but Steffy said to stop throwing it in her face. Steffy felt that she'd apologized enough, and she'd regret it for the rest of her life. Hope didn't think Bill, who wanted to spend his life with Steffy, regretted it.
Steffy asserted that Hope knew Steffy had shut Bill down. Hope replied that Bill wouldn't give up. Steffy yelled that she didn't care, and she only wanted to be with Liam. Steffy wanted to ask one last time if Hope supported Steffy's marriage. In Hope's silence, Steffy said she'd figured things had changed, but Steffy refused to let Hope interfere.
Hope responded that Liam needed her help. Steffy stated that Liam needed his wife. Hope asked if Steffy couldn't see that she'd pushed Liam to the breaking point. Hope figured Steffy should just go be with Bill. Hope thought it was what Steffy wanted deep down. Steffy ordered Hope to stop filling Liam's head with garbage about Bill and Steffy. Steffy refused to lose Liam, and she warned Hope that Steffy would fight for her marriage.
At Bill's house, Justin tried to make a grumpy Bill comfortable on the couch, but Bill turned down Justin's pillow service. Justin noticed that Bill had said "no" a lot. Bill had turned down a party and a pillow, and he'd decided that Ridge hadn't shot him. Bill claimed that it had been an honest mistake about Ridge, and Justin asked who'd done the shooting, if not Ridge.
In Bill's silence, Justin asked if anyone else had been arrested. Bill said the police didn't know who'd done it. Justin sensed that Bill did. Bill flashed back to his son's confession and said he'd told Sanchez that he'd never seen the shooter before. Justin gleaned that it had been a guy and asked if the shooter had said anything. Bill replied that it had been dark. He hadn't been able to really see. He decided that he didn't want to talk about it. Justin said it was okay, and he was sure the police would catch the culprit.
Bill was tired of talking and said Justin was giving him a headache. All Bill wanted to do was read his spreadsheets. Justin advised Bill to check with his doctor before taking anything for the headache. Bill asked what he needed a doctor for if he had Justin.
Bill stated that he and Justin went way back. Citing that Bill usually told Justin just about everything, Bill decided that Justin should know that Bill had proposed the night of the shooting. "To Steffy?" Justin asked. Justin was outraged but not surprised.
Bill said he'd be there for the baby if Liam couldn't be, at least that had been the plan until Steffy hadn't accepted the proposal. "Yet!" Justin emphasized. Justin didn't believe Bill would be talking about it if it was the end of it.
Bill asked if Justin would try to talk Bill out of it. Justin said Steffy was the only person who'd ever talked Bill out of anything. Justin didn't believe Bill had proposed to Steffy out of charity, and Justin said that, despite all that had happened, Bill still wanted a life with Steffy.
