Bill urged Katie to forget about the DVD she had viewed. He asked if Katie believed the things he said to her. Instead of answering yes or no, Katie asked Bill if he loved her. Before he had a chance to respond, Katie stated that it was Bill Spencer Sr.'s dying wish for Bill Jr. to take over Forrester Creations. Katie reminded Bill that he had told her time and time again that he was the bad guy, so he shouldn't be angry with her for questioning his motives.
Bill jumped in and said that he had been honest with Katie about everything. Katie picked up the DVD box and said, "Everything but this." Bill explained that he hadn't told Katie about his Dad's DVD because he hadn't wanted it to confuse everything, but it seemed it already had. Katie said that instead, the DVD had made things very clear.
Bill said if Katie knew him better, she would know that he would never do anything because his father had asked him to do it. Katie reminded Bill that the DVD was his dad's dying wish. Bill said it didn't matter because his dad had had an axe to grind and Bill didn't. Bill said that he wanted Forrester Creations so he could add a jewel to Spencer Publications' crown, but he added that he wanted Katie more.
Bill admitted that he loved Katie; it looked like the word hurt as it left his mouth. He said love was a word he rarely ever used, and he would never use that word to gain advantage in a business deal. Bill said sometimes words didn't express what needed to be said. He swept in and pulled Katie close to him for a passionate kiss.
Bill and Katie made love. Bill pointed out that Katie hadn't apologized to him yet. Katie hesitated but finally caved in and said she was sorry she had doubted him. Bill said she would never have to doubt him again because he would give her no reason to doubt him. He pulled a box out of his pants pocket and handed it to Katie, and she discovered a very elegant pair of diamond earrings inside. Katie was thrilled and said she loved that Bill continually surprised her. Bill cautioned her to hold on and asked if she was ready to ride the Dollar Bill express.
Steffy awoke, and Owen was kneeling over her. She whispered, "You saved my life." Owen told Steffy she had scared him to death, and he was very relieved she was awake. He wrapped a towel around her shivering body and tried to warm her up. Steffy admitted that she didn't recall diving into the water. Owen explained it was because she'd hit her head and fallen overboard. Steffy again repeated that Owen had indeed saved her life.
When they got back to land, Owen offered Steffy a ride home, but she declined and said she had already called Taylor to pick her up. Steffy admitted she was embarrassed by the incident. Steffy pointed out that she had promised Owen a nice relaxing boat ride, and instead he had to save her life.
Owen corrected Steffy and said what she had promised him was an adventure, and that was what he'd gotten. Owen said it helped take his mind off of things. Again he asked if he could drive her home, but Steffy declined. She threw her arms around him and thanked him again for jumping in and pulling her out of the water. Steffy said no one had ever done something like that for her before.
When Taylor arrived and saw that Steffy was injured, she was angry to hear that Owen had left her stranded and alone on Nick's boat. Steffy jumped to his defense and stated that Owen Knight was her hero.
Nick asked Jackie if she had heard from Owen and wondered why he hadn't attended the fitting he'd been scheduled to attend. Jackie didn't know where Owen was, so she tried to put Nick off and said she was certain Nick didn't want to hear about her love life. Nick persisted, so Jackie finally admitted that although Owen said he forgave her for the past, she could tell he was still bothered by it.
Jackie added that even though it was a long time before, Owen still struggled with the fact that Jackie had taken "gifts" from men to keep a roof over her head. Nick reminded Jackie that Owen was a young man and had little life experience. Nick mentioned that when he'd been Owen's age, he'd thought he had life all figured out and that he'd had a plan. Nick said that as he aged, he learned that life didn't care about people's plans. As people aged, Nick added, they realized that sometimes life's circumstances caused people to do things they never thought they would do. Nick assured Jackie that Owen would figure it out eventually.
Jackie said she normally wouldn't worry about the situation if it were just Jackie and Owen working things out together. Jackie informed Nick that Owen had another voice in his ear with an opposing opinion. Nick assumed she meant Stephanie, but Jackie corrected him and said it was Stephanie's namesake, Steffy. Jackie said Steffy shared more with Stephanie than just a name -- they both liked to meddle in other people's marriages.
Nick scoffed and reminded Jackie that Steffy was a child, and he couldn't believe Steffy was a threat to Owen and Jackie's marriage. Jackie said that Steffy wasn't that much younger than Owen. Jackie said she wished Owen understood her past the way Nick and Whip did. Nick balked when he heard Whip's name and asked Jackie if she had discussed her marital problems with Whip. Jackie said yes and defensively added that Whip was just her friend. Nick reminded Jackie that Steffy was just Owen's friend, too.
Owen arrived back at the office and called out for Jackie. Nick replied that Jackie had gone home, as she'd gotten tired of waiting for Owen. Owen said he could explain, but Nick cut him off and asked Owen to put the keys on Nick's desk along with the sketches. A look of horror crept over Owen's face, and Nick realized that Owen had forgotten the sketches, which were the reason he had gone to the boat in the first place.
Owen again tried to explain and admitted he had taken Nick's boat out on the water. Nick was very displeased and asked Owen if he had any sort of experience navigating the high seas. Owen admitted that he didn't but added that Steffy did. Owen explained that Bridget had given Steffy permission to take out the boat. Nick recapped and pointed out that Owen had left work, presumably to do a company errand, and instead had gone out joyriding on Nick's boat with another woman. Nick asked Owen what the nature of his relationship with Steffy was.
Owen said nothing was going on between him and Steffy. Nick informed Owen that Jackie thought Steffy had a thing for Owen, but Nick wondered if it was Owen who had a thing for Steffy.
Jackie arrived, and Owen explained to her about what had happened with Steffy. Owen said that Steffy had been motionless and he'd had a beautiful woman in his arms who had been totally unresponsive, and he'd had to breathe for her and revive her. Owen said he'd realized he could have lost Steffy for good. Jackie turned away tearfully and braced herself for Owen to end their marriage; she believed that was where the conversation was heading.
Instead, Owen said the incident had made him realize how ridiculous he had been to be hung up over Jackie's past. Owen said it had reminded him of how fleeting life was, and he didn't want to miss another minute with Jackie by obsessing over her past. He asked for her forgiveness and asked if Jackie would give him another chance. Jackie cried and took his hand in hers, kissed each finger, and said, "Yes."
Stephanie started to realize that her stroke had caused a major impact on her ability to work. She lamented to Pam that she couldn't write and had trouble thinking clearly. Pam promised to help her sister so that no one would find out, but she added that Stephanie should tell everyone at Jackie M. Pam said that she knew everyone would pull together to help Stephanie accomplish daily tasks until she was well. Stephanie regretted that she had been so selfish by claiming that she was the most important part of Jackie M.
Stephanie added that she couldn't bear to be pitied, and said that she would rather quit. Pam reminded her sister that Pam had suffered a stroke ten years before and had fought her way back to being healthy. Pam said she knew that Stephanie could be perfectly healthy again. Pam reminded Stephanie that their mother was still living a full life, and Stephanie would be ordering people around at Jackie M for another twenty years.
Stephanie smiled, but she said that she was frustrated with her inability to work. She didn't want her days at Jackie M to be anything like her last ten years at Forrester, where she felt she had lost her self-respect. She said that she wanted to go out on top from Jackie M.
Pam was disappointed. Nick and Whip entered to talk to Stephanie, and Stephanie apologized before either of them could speak. She said that she had been way out of line for spouting off about her talents. She regretted being so selfish, moody, and rude. Whip said that didn't sound like her, and they all wanted to know what was wrong. Stephanie said that she felt she had accomplished everything she could at Jackie M. She thought it was time to move on.
Pam, Whip, and Nick were shocked. Whip wondered if it was a joke. Stephanie said that the entire team had worked together to make Jackie M a success. Nick argued that Jackie M needed Stephanie, and he refused to allow her to quit.
Stephanie remembered when Nick had found her at the docks. He had taken her onto his boat, made her coffee, and listened to her babble about her life. He'd known that she needed help, and she was grateful that he had helped her. She declared that they had a great run and accomplished everything she'd wanted to accomplish. She wanted to focus on other things. She told Nick that her stance was not negotiable.
Nick said that they had just started to build a successful company. He wanted to know what was wrong. Stephanie thanked Nick for making her a part of Jackie M. She reiterated that she needed to move on. Nick argued that they had been enemies who had become partners and friends. Stephanie said that Jackie M was a chapter in her life, and it was about to close.
At Il Giardino, Steffy and Thomas gabbed about Steffy's near-death experience when she had fallen off the Shady Marlin and almost drowned. Thomas said that Nick was going to be furious when he found out that she had taken his boat. Steffy disagreed, because Taylor had bought the boat for Nick, so Steffy reasoned that the boat was partly theirs. She effervesced about how Owen had saved her life.
Thomas said that Steffy sounded like she had a thing for Owen. Steffy claimed that they were just friends. Thomas reminded his sister that Owen was married, and Steffy agreed that Owen and Jackie were in love. She felt that Owen was too much younger than Jackie. Steffy wasn't sure that Owen and Jackie could make it as a married couple, but Steffy just wanted to be his friend. Thomas warned Steffy about her attachment to Owen.
At Jackie's loft, Owen was cooking dinner when Jackie returned home. She was still reliving all the wonderful things he had said to her. They talked about how important it was to be together. They snuggled and kissed. Jackie noted that Steffy probably had a crush on Owen since he saved her life. Owen said he'd done what any person would have done. Jackie reminded him that he had rescued a drowning woman. Jackie called him her hero.
Owen suggested that they find something to do for about an hour because the roast needed another hour to cook. They talked about stimulating Jackie's appetite and got romantic. The doorbell rang, and a woman named Andrea was standing there. Owen had forgotten that he had set up an appointment to talk about surrogate moms with Jackie.
Jackie told Owen that they had discussed adoption but not surrogacy. Owen said that he believed a surrogate was an option, and he wanted to pursue all the options. Andrea told Jackie and Owen that they could look at a list and descriptions of surrogate mothers then interview a few of them. Andrea left, and Owen suggested that they browse through the list. Jackie looked uncomfortable when Owen said that he wanted to meet some of the surrogates. Owen wanted someone just like Jackie. He wanted someone beautiful and brainy.
Jackie admitted that a baby wasn't even on the radar for her. Owen said that he wanted to be a dad, and he wanted Jackie to be a mom. Owen said that they had discussed how important being a father was to him. He wanted to have a baby to share their love. Jackie recalled sleepless nights with infants and trying to keep up with toddlers. She remembered children's soccer games and teenage years. She looked at Owen and said that she just couldn't raise another child.
Owen and Jackie realized they were not on the same page about having and raising a child together. Jackie said she couldn't do it again. Owen said they would be in it together, and it would be fun. Jackie knew better and told Owen that she was not ready for another child at that point in time. Jackie wanted them to continue as they were, without a child. Jackie apologized, but she was not about to change her mind. Owen said he couldn't accept her answer.
Owen reminded Jackie that all their personal problems were behind them, and they could turn all their attention to having a baby. Owen thought it would be good for them. Jackie remembered how much work was involved with taking care of a little baby, but Owen volunteered to handle all the tough chores. Jackie said that she wanted to share all the hard work as well as the pleasure of a baby with Owen, but it wasn't the time. Owen believed it was the right time, but Jackie asked Owen not to get his hopes up because she wasn't going to change her mind.
At Jackie M, Nick asked Stephanie to reconsider resigning from Jackie M. Stephanie said she had made up her mind. Whip and Nick asked Stephanie why she was walking away. Pam spoke for Stephanie, saying that Stephanie knew what she was doing. Stephanie said she couldn't do it anymore; she was past her prime.
Nick and Whip laughed at her saying that, reminding Stephanie that she regularly outworked all of them. Stephanie insisted that her decision was made. Before Stephanie walked out of the office, Whip tried to shake Stephanie's hand, but Stephanie could not respond. Pam told Whip that her sister was a hugger. Stephanie embraced Whip to cover the fact that she couldn't lift her right arm. At the door, Stephanie turned back to Nick and Whip and said a sincere goodbye.
Once Stephanie and Pam were gone, Whip and Nick both agreed that the scene with Stephanie had been bizarre. Nick vowed to find out what was really going on with Stephanie.
A short time later, Nick walked into Jackie's home and told her about Stephanie's abrupt resignation. Jackie was stunned, remembering how happy Stephanie had been in previous weeks, even boasting about her prowess, how Stephanie had saved the business. Nick wondered how they could replace her in the company.
Jackie said Stephanie's involvement in Jackie M was more than business. Jackie felt a personal connection to Stephanie, and Nick agreed that he felt a connection to Stephanie, as well. They both regarded Stephanie as a friend. Jackie said there was more to Stephanie's resignation, and they had to get her to tell them the truth by appealing to her as a friend. Jackie said they had to convince her together.
Steffy was about to leave the restaurant when she ran into Owen. Owen sat down at her table and told Steffy that he'd had a long talk with Jackie and was disappointed that she didn't want to have a child at that time. Owen understood Jackie's feelings, but he felt he would be a great father. Steffy agreed with Owen and felt he deserved to be a father.
At Taylor's home, Thomas told his mother that Steffy was too enchanted with Owen for her own good. Taylor believed that Steffy would not get involved with Owen because he was a married man. Thomas said Steffy had developed a fixation with Owen ever since he'd saved her from drowning. Thomas said it was hero worship. Taylor worried that Steffy was hoping that Owen's marriage would fail.
Thomas believed that Steffy was too smart to fall in love with a married man. After all the trouble Steffy had had with Rick, Thomas was sure that Steffy was looking for a problem-free romance. Thomas said he was going to meet some friends. When Thomas opened the door, Pam and Stephanie were there.
Thomas said goodbye as Pam and Stephanie walked in to see Taylor. Taylor asked what was wrong, sensing a problem. Stephanie told Taylor that she had quit her job at Jackie M.
Taylor couldn't understand why Stephanie was so adamant about leaving a job she loved. Pam urged Stephanie to reconsider. Taylor asked to speak with Stephanie alone. Pam walked out of the room. Taylor said she understood what Stephanie was doing.
Stephanie told Taylor that she had accomplished what she'e wanted to at Jackie M, and she was ready to move on. Taylor wondered what Stephanie was moving on to. Stephanie wasn't sure. Taylor feared that Stephanie was isolating herself and she recognized that isolation was a normal reaction for someone who'd suffered a stroke. Stephanie didn't want to be pitied, and if the people at Jackie M knew about the stroke, Stephanie would lose their respect. Taylor claimed that Stephanie was running away. Taylor urged Stephanie to ask the people at Jackie M for help.
Stephanie admitted that had she put so much into the business because she'd been trying to fill a void. After losing Forrester and Eric, she'd needed something. Stephanie felt that she was old and tired, and she wanted to bow out on her own terms. Taylor said Stephanie was not a quitter.
Taylor reminded Stephanie that after Phoebe's death and losing Ridge, it had been Stephanie who had helped her carry on and not quit. Taylor asked Stephanie to let her be Stephanie's strength, to help Stephanie through the crisis the same way Stephanie had been there for Taylor. Taylor said that she loved Stephanie and asked Stephanie not to push her away. Stephanie and Taylor hugged.
At Taylor's, Stephanie was packing for what Taylor thought was a trip, and Taylor said that she thought a vacation was a good idea. She wanted to join Stephanie and said that she could reschedule some of her appointments. Stephanie said that she was not going on vacation. She was moving out. Taylor was upset that Stephanie was leaving, but Stephanie insisted that she didn't want to be the live-in grandma. The doorbell rang, and Stephanie said that it was probably her driver. She asked Taylor to tell the driver to wait because Stephanie had one more bag upstairs.
Jackie was at the door and shouted that everyone had baggage. Jackie was angry that Stephanie had ignored Jackie's calls and emails. Stephanie said that she didn't have time to talk because her driver was on his way. Jackie said the driver was gone because she had paid him and sent him away.
Jackie wanted an explanation, and Stephanie chided that if Jackie had been at the office a little more often, they could have talked. Jackie questioned why Stephanie would have left a job that she loved, and Stephanie said that she had other things she wanted to do. Jackie joked that a doctor had to have told Stephanie that she had only ten days to live.
Jackie reminded Stephanie that the company was just getting started. Jackie wondered if Nick was the problem, but Stephanie responded that Nick was smart and easy to work with. Jackie wondered if Stephanie felt underappreciated at Jackie M. Jackie promised a new title. Stephanie reiterated that she wanted to move on and that she believed she had accomplished everything she could at Jackie M.
Jackie refused to let up. She said she'd change the name of Jackie M to J and S Designs if Stephanie promised to stay. Stephanie was speechless that Jackie would make such a kind gesture. Jackie told Stephanie to take a leave of absence and travel, but Jackie refused to believe that Stephanie wanted to quit. Jackie said that her worst enemy had become a friend, and they shared some life experiences.
Stephanie disagreed. She said that they were at different points in life. Stephanie said that Jackie was at the top of her game and had never looked more beautiful. Jackie appeared happy and was married to a sexy younger man. Jackie smiled and joked that that she could find Stephanie a sexy husband because Owen had a twin.
Stephanie smiled and said that life had often made decisions for her. She added that she had to close the door on a phase of her life whether she wanted to or not. Jackie persisted that she needed Stephanie to stay at least another month. Stephanie said that she was going to collect her luggage and call for another driver. She headed upstairs.
Taylor entered, and Jackie said that Stephanie seemed very sad. Taylor said that Stephanie was sad, afraid, and uncertain. Taylor admitted that she was afraid for Stephanie. Jackie begged Taylor to share what was wrong. Taylor explained that Stephanie had suffered a stroke. She had trouble with her vision and memory, and there was weakness on her right side. Jackie was shocked and said that she had joked that Stephanie had only ten days to live.
Taylor said that Stephanie had suffered a more severe stroke years before, and she'd recovered. Jackie understood that Stephanie saw the recent stroke as the beginning of the end. Taylor agreed and said that Stephanie didn't want anyone to look at her differently because it wasn't in Stephanie's personality to be vulnerable. Stephanie overheard the conversation from the second floor balcony.
At the beach house, Katie was in the living room making a list of things to do when a shirtless Bill walked out of the bedroom to join her. He noticed that she was wearing his shirt, and she told him that it looked better on her. He agreed and kissed her. Then, he asked if she was all right. He wanted to be sure that they had resolved issues about his father. Katie assured him that she was fine. He left to dress for work. Katie eyed the DVD of Bill Spencer Sr.
Later, Bill saw Katie sitting on the window seat, and she invited him to sit down to breakfast. He explained that he didn't usually eat breakfast, but he understood that it was the most important meal of the day. She agreed that it was the most important meal because she had cooked it. Katie remarked that she had forgotten to ask him how he liked his eggs. Bill answered that he didn't remember telling her that he liked eggs.
She asked if Bill hated the Forresters as much as his father did. Bill said that his father had been in love with Stephanie. Katie asked how he felt about the Forresters. Bill was evasive and said that he didn't think much about liking or disliking the Forresters. He mentioned that he was eating the best omelet he had ever had.
Bill was getting ready to leave and planted a kiss on Katie, but she told him he might need to miss his first meeting because she wanted him to stay with her. She suggested that Bill buy shares of the company before it defaulted on its loan. That way, he could help Forrester pay off its debt. Bill smiled and told her that the first rule in business was to make more money than a company spent. He added that Eric had not done that in a long time. Bill kissed her goodbye.
At Forrester, Brooke and Ridge had researched Paris real estate on the Internet. They had found that they could sell the Forrester Paris flat for about $1.2 million. Donna entered and wondered what they were doing. Ridge explained that they had to sell off more properties in order to make the payments on the loan. They told Donna that Bill Spencer had bought the beach house. Donna was in shock and said that she hoped Katie saw Bill for what he was. Brooke said that Katie had moved into the beach house with Bill.
Donna was convinced that Katie was crazy. Ridge said that there was nothing they could do. Brooke and Donna encouraged Ridge to get together with Eric and start designing. Brooke and Donna planned to take care of the finances. Brooke said that selling new designs was the only thing that was going to pull them out of financial trouble. Brooke and Donna decided that they had to visit Katie and save her from Bill Spencer.
When Brooke and Donna arrived, Katie was watching the DVD again, where Bill's dad was ranting about Eric Forrester humiliating Stephanie. He raged that Eric had replaced Stephanie with Brooke and Donna. Bill's dad wanted his son to make Eric, Brooke, and Donna pay for what they had done. Brooke and Donna overheard the DVD, and they were shocked. Katie said that the words were Bill's father's sentiments and not those of Bill Jr. Katie's sisters argued with her, but Katie told them that she loved Bill. She didn't want to be forced to make a choice between her sisters and Bill.
At Forrester, Ridge was on the phone with the banker, assuring him that the bank would get the payment of 25 million dollars on time. Ridge was unpleasantly surprised to see Bill standing in the doorway. When Ridge asked Bill what he was doing there, Bill said that he was just checking on his investment. Ridge said that Forrester would never belong to Bill.
Looking at one of Ridge's designs, Bill said that it had to be tough for Ridge to be creative with the bank breathing down Ridge's neck. Ridge said that he knew how to be creative, while Bill only knew how to destroy. Bill reminded Ridge that Bill wasn't the person who had run a successful fashion house into the ground. Ridge said that Forrester had faced challenges before, and the company had survived. Bill reminded Ridge that Forrester was facing stiff competition and mountains of debt. Ridge said that if Bill were so confident, he wouldn't be using Katie.
Bill said that Katie had gotten to him, just as Brooke had gotten to Ridge. Ridge said that Bill didn't care about anyone but himself, and that sooner or later, Katie would realize that. Bill said that he genuinely cared for Katie and reminded Ridge about Ridge's history with Brooke. Bill said that when a person clicked with someone, it was impossible to just walk away.
When Bill told Ridge that he was trying to save Ridge's "sinking ship," Ridge said that Bill wanted to stab the Forresters and the Logans in the back. Bill said that he was growing tired of trying to help Ridge. On his way out, Bill said that if Ridge was having trouble raising the loan payments, he should give Bill a call, and Bill would give Ridge a fair price for the Forrester mansion. Rubbing the situation in, Bill said that it would make a nice second home for Katie.
At the beach house, Brooke and Donna surreptitiously listened in as Katie played the DVD of Bill Spencer Sr. instructing his son to destroy the Forresters. Brooke and Donna confronted Katie. Brooke said that the DVD was a call to war. Katie told Brooke that Bill's father had made the DVD -- not Bill. Katie said that she would never let anything hurt her relationship with her sisters. Donna said that the Logan sisters needed to stay united against Bill.
Katie told her sisters that she'd had her doubts about Bill but that she had confronted him and demanded answers. Katie said that if Bill's actions were about revenge, then he wouldn't be wasting his time with her. Katie told Brooke and Donna that Bill's intentions were not malevolent. Katie begged Donna and Brooke to see that Bill wanted to save Forrester.
Katie said that she cared deeply for Bill, and that if Donna and Brooke wanted to help her, they would give him a chance. Brooke said that Bill was a man with an agenda. Katie said that Brooke only felt that way because of Bill's father's DVD. Donna said that the DVD was the final proof. Donna told Katie that when Bill had first arrived in town, he had tried to lure Donna into his life. Donna said that Bill hadn't wanted her -- that he just wanted to destroy Eric using any means possible. Katie said that she didn't care what had happened back then -- and that it hurt her that her sisters didn't believe that Bill actually wanted a future with Katie.
Katie wondered what she had to do to convince her sisters that Bill wasn't a monster. Brooke said that Katie should ask Bill to back away from Forrester, and that, if he did, it would prove that Bill actually loved Katie. Just as Bill entered, Brooke begged Katie not to fall for "this man." Bill said that it was a little late for that. Brooke told Bill that she and Donna had seen Bill Sr.'s DVD. Donna said that Bill had used Katie long enough, and that Katie was going to return home with Brooke and Donna. Brooke begged Katie to tell Bill that she was moving out of the beach house.
In Jackie's office, Bridget told Nick that perhaps Stephanie had been having a bad day, and that when Stephanie thought about it, she would return to Jackie M Designs. Whip said that without Stephanie, the company would be in trouble. Jackie entered and told Nick, Bridget, Pam, Whip, and Owen that Stephanie had resigned because she'd had a stroke.
Nick chided Pam for not telling them about Stephanie's stroke. Whip said that Stephanie's greatest fear was appearing vulnerable -- that she wouldn't want to seem weak in front of them. Jackie said that it had been a minor stroke, but that Stephanie would rather leave than have any of the Jackie M staff pity her. Owen said that Stephanie probably felt that she didn't have any more to contribute. Nick said that it was up to them to convince Stephanie otherwise, and that they were going to see Stephanie. Jackie realized that Nick had a plan to convince Stephanie to return to Jackie M.
At Taylor's, Taylor told Stephanie that she didn't want Stephanie to leave. Taylor told Stephanie that she loved her. Taylor said that she didn't care if Stephanie ignored her or couldn't remember her name -- she wasn't going to let Stephanie go.
Stephanie heard a car drive up, and she hoped that it was the cab that she had called. When Stephanie opened the door, the Jackie M staff marched in -- wearing costumes. Nick and Owen were dressed as football players and Whip was dressed as a crazed fan. Jackie, Pam, and Bridget were wearing cheerleader outfits. They began cheering S-T-E-P-H-A-N-I-E.
Stephanie seemed annoyed, but Taylor was amused. Bridget said that they were a dream team. Nick said that the dream team was missing its fearless leader, and they wanted her back. The group pulled off their shirts -- they were all wearing tee shirts with a picture of Stephanie and "Team Stephanie" printed on them. They began cheering S-T-E-P-H-A-N-I-E again.
Pam told Stephanie that everyone knew that Stephanie had suffered a stroke. Stephanie said that they made a fabulous team, but that she couldn't even use a pen, much less carry the ball for them. Whip pledged that they would do whatever it took to help Stephanie recover. Nick said that Stephanie didn't have to battle the effects of the stroke alone. Pam told Stephanie that they all might be crazy but that they were crazy about Stephanie.
Jackie said that Stephanie would be part of the Jackie M team forever. Owen added that they never let a team member go without a fight. Stephanie said that they didn't seem to understand that she was falling apart. Jackie said that their company had been falling apart, but Stephanie had fixed it. The group continued to try to convince Stephanie that they would help her recover, and that they wanted her to stay at Jackie M.
Stephanie said that, at one time, she'd had a full life, until Eric had forced her out of Forrester Creations. She related how Nick had extended a hand, and that Jackie M Designs had taken her in. Stephanie recalled that she and Jackie had once been enemies, but Jackie had taught Stephanie a lot about forgiveness. Jackie said that they should forget about the past and focus on the moment. Jackie told Stephanie that, for the time being, the company's focus was on Stephanie.
Stephanie said that their gesture was charming but that her recovery was going to take months, and they didn't have time for that. The group said that they were all going to be there for her, no matter what she needed. Stephanie said that she appreciated their kindness and generosity. With a smile on her face, Stephanie agreed to stay on at Jackie M. Teasing Stephanie, Nick said that, as the coach of the team, he was ordering Stephanie to do the cheer with them. Initially Stephanie objected, but as the group began cheering S-T-E-P-H-A-N-I-E, a touched Stephanie joined in.
