Bold and Beautiful Recaps: The week of September 21, 2009 on B&B

Comprehensive daily recaps for The Bold and the Beautiful, dating back to 1997.

Monday, September 21, 2009

by Tamilu

Justin gripped Donna by the arm and begged her to confirm his suspicions that Marcus was his son. Justin implored Donna to be honest with him and admit Marcus was his son. Justin added that he did the math and realized Marcus' age indicated he was born around the time Donna and Justin were an item.

Donna struggled to decide how to answer. Donna heard Marcus's voice in her head saying he didn't want to know about his father because he was happy where he was with Eric as his father. Thus, Donna looked Justin in the eyes and lied to him. She told him that Marcus was not his son.

Marcus entered the room and apologized for interrupting. He asked Justin if they were still on for a one-on-one basketball game, and Justin said of course. After Marcus left the room, Justin made it clear he didn't believe Donna's denial.

Justin said he realized that his presence would complicate her marriage. Donna denied it and said her marriage to Eric was solid. Justin said if that were the case, he had to wonder why Donna wouldn't be honest and admit that Marcus was his son. Donna denied it again and said Justin was definitely not Marcus' dad, and said Justin would have to accept that.

Donna lied again and explained to Justin that she cheated on him all those years before. Justin pressed harder and asked Donna for a name. He said if he was not Marcus' dad, he wanted the name of the person who was the boy's father. Donna scrambled to come up with a believable lie. Donna begged Justin to just drop the whole subject and said that was a time in her life she wanted to forget.

Justin agreed to drop it, and apologized if he had caused Donna any pain. Justin walked into the corridor and caught a glimpse of Marcus talking and laughing with a friend and got a sad look in his eye. Justin wished Marcus was his son.

Bridget attempted to make a business call while Nick nibbled her neck. Brooke dropped by and interrupted the lovebirds. When she asked why they were in Stephanie's office, they explained that they were planning a party to celebrate Stephanie's accomplishments. Bridget noted that Stephanie had gotten Jackie M designs into five new chains of stores. Brooke seemed surprised.

Jackie and Owen were lost in another round of kissing until Pam and Whip interrupted. They were there to discuss the plans for the surprise party for Stephanie. Stephanie overheard them talking, and Whip covered and said they were planning to hold a staff meeting in her office.

Stephanie asked if she could borrow some aspirin, because she had a headache. Jackie complied and gave Stephanie the aspirin, but suggested Stephanie was running on empty and had been working too many hours. Jackie advised Stephanie to call it a night and go home to rest. Stephanie laughed off the suggestion and said, "Never put off until tomorrow what you can stay and do at midnight tonight." Stephanie took the bottle of aspirin and said she was heading to the shipping department to try to speed things along.

Ridge filled Brooke in on the news that Eric planned to adopt Marcus. Brooke asked Ridge how he felt about it, and Ridge was very positive and said he believed Marcus was a good guy who had earned his spot in the family.

Brooke filled Ridge in on her visit to Jackie M and told him about the party the staff had planned in Stephanie's honor. Brooke added that Stephanie had made quite a mark on Jackie M Fashions. Ridge said he wasn't surprised and wished she was back at Forrester. Brooke suggested they stop talking about family and concentrate on one another. She offered Ridge a massage. He turned the tables and suggested that he give her the massage instead, and she happily agreed.

When Stephanie arrived back at her office, the entire staff was waiting for her with champagne and announced they were there to celebrate her accomplishments. Stephanie said she could not have done anything without the staff, because they were a team. She continued to say that each of them had made her happier than she had ever been.

While the staff was together, Stephanie asked the team about the status of some back orders. It was clear she was having trouble focusing and appeared slightly dizzy. Jackie asked if Stephanie's headache was still troubling her, and Stephanie denied it. Jackie again urged Stephanie to call it a night, but she declined and said she still had a little more work to do.

Owen said they were only concerned because they wanted to keep their number one asset in good shape. Stephanie assured them she was just fine. Stephanie reminded them that Jackie M had become the number one fashion house in L.A., and her goal was for them to be number one in New York, Paris, Milan, and the world. She believed if they worked as a team, their potential was limitless.

Bridget and Nick retreated to his office and Bridget expressed concern about Stephanie. Bridget pointed out that Stephanie claimed it was the happiest time in her life, but Bridget was hard pressed to believe those words. Bridget reminded Nick that Stephanie lost Eric to Donna, lost her stake in Forrester Creations, and Ridge had reunited with Brooke, which were all things that would make Stephanie unhappy.

Nick said Stephanie was enthused about her new job and, although she might be overcompensating in her professional life to make up for the losses in her private life, he was sure Stephanie was fine.

Pam remained with Stephanie and told Stephanie she was surprised to hear those things come out of Stephanie's mouth. Stephanie didn't even hear Pam talking to her. Pam asked if Stephanie was okay, and Stephanie got angry and said she wished everyone would just leave her alone. Stephanie tried to continue talking, but her words got jumbled and slurred. Pam was very concerned for her sister.

Pam asked Stephanie to repeat what she just said, but Stephanie asked Pam to leave her alone so she could work. After Pam left, Stephanie tried to walk back to her chair, but was very unsteady and had to hold onto the corner of the desk. Her vision became blurred and Stephanie experienced some numbness in her hands. She kept opening and closing them and tried to convince herself that she was fine by saying it out loud over and over. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine." But clearly, she was not fine.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

by Pam

At Jackie M, Stephanie's phone was ringing, but her vision was blurred and she seemed disoriented. Finally, she answered the phone. Ridge was calling, but Stephanie said she had trouble hearing him. Ridge was in bed with Brooke, and he asked his mother if it was a bad time to talk to her. Stephanie was confused and wondered what time it was and if it was late.

Ridge said that she must have missed dinner at Taylor's and teased her about getting into trouble with Taylor for being late. Stephanie said she didn't mean to be late. She said that she felt she had missed an appointment. Ridge told her that he was sure Taylor would understand. He asked to have lunch or dinner with his mom. Stephanie said that she would have to call him later. As she sat in the office alone, her vision continued to blur, and she was dazed.

Brooke and Ridge discussed that Stephanie had gone through a rough patch over the previous year. She had moved four times since living with Eric. Ridge said that had to be difficult for her after living in the same house for so many years. Brooke said that she wished Taylor had a call-in show so that Brooke could ask what it meant when Ridge made love to her and then spent the next few minutes calling his mother and talking about her. Ridge smiled and said that he was worried about his mother and wanted Brooke to cut her some slack.

Brooke reminded him that Stephanie had spent many years trying to keep Brooke and Ridge apart. They agreed that she had wasted a lot of energy and time on that mission. They also agreed that Stephanie was very happy at Jackie M. Ridge noted that Stephanie was very good at managing people. He said that she was at her best when she was managing events and relationships. He was convinced that the staff at Jackie M really appreciated her for that.

Ridge teased Brooke about how much she loved him. Brooke teased that she wasn't sure if she would eat a bug for him, but after more thought, she said that she would. Ridge wondered if Brooke would love him if he were in a body cast, or old, or in the grave. Brooke told him that he was being a bit morbid, but that she would always love him. They promised to always love each other.

At Forrester, Eric was frantically searching through his files to find a photo album of his dress designs. He told Donna that Thorne was confident that one of Eric's designs was very close to a 20-year-old design that Stephanie had worn to an event. Eric said that he kept a scrapbook of all his designs so that he wouldn't redesign the same dress. He told Donna that people remembered dresses that Stephanie and the Forrester girls wore to events because they were captured in photos and splashed in newspapers and magazines. He wanted to be sure that he didn't copy one of his own designs.

As Donna pulled the scrapbook from a cabinet, Eric paged through and indeed found that his new design was very close to the design that Stephanie had worn 20 years earlier . He remarked at how young he and Stephanie looked in the photo. He said that Stephanie always remembered those things. As they paged through the scrapbook, Donna remarked that Eric still owned a jacket that was in one of the photographs.

She added that clothing doesn't take a beating like people did. Eric agreed. Donna asked who some of the people in the photos were, and Eric said that he didn't know. He said that Stephanie always knew who all the people were. He said that she always took care of the things that he didn't want to handle.

Eric admitted that at times, he was selfish and lazy, and he knew that Stephanie would take care of everything. He added that Stephanie was the epitome of competence. Eric asked if it bothered Donna to hear about his life with Stephanie. Donna said that she was grateful for all the years that Stephanie spent loving him before Donna appeared in Eric's life .

Donna told Eric that he didn't have to hide his life with Stephanie in cabinets and photo albums. Eric said that he loved Donna for that. He wondered if she wanted to share anything about Marcus' father, and Donna said that it was important to honor her son's wishes. Donna said that Marcus didn't want to know anything about his birth father. Eric told Donna that he didn't want her to be afraid to remember Marcus' father.

At Taylor's, Steffy and Taylor were discussing Taylor's final plans for her conference in Vancouver. Taylor was giving Steffy her itinerary when Stephanie entered and said that she needed cash to pay a cab driver. Taylor and Steffy inquired what had happened to Stephanie's car.

Stephanie said that she left it at work because the battery was dead. Steffy opened Stephanie's briefcase and found her wallet. Stephanie seemed surprised that her wallet was so easily accessible. Taylor said that Steffy needed to ask Thomas to get Stephanie's car. Steffy left to pay the cab driver and take care of Stephanie's car, while Stephanie argued that she would handle it all in the morning.

Taylor asked if Stephanie was all right, and Stephanie seemed disoriented. She apologized for being so late for dinner. Taylor teased that Stephanie had stood them up, and Stephanie seemed bewildered. Taylor said that she was only teasing. Stephanie explained it away as having too much champagne at the office when they celebrated all their success at Jackie M. Stephanie said that she realized the staff at Jackie M had become her family, and she was disappointed that she wasn't with her own family.

She added that she had spent her entire life raising her family and waiting for all of them to grow up and lead happy lives. Then, all of a sudden, it was done. Taylor told Stephanie that she understood how difficult it was to leave the family business that she and Eric had built. Taylor told Stephanie that her life with her family was not over. Stephanie could fall in love again.

Stephanie disagreed. She said that opportunities started to shrink as people aged. She said that she often thought about what she might have done. She wondered if she could have made more of herself if she hadn't been so busy taking care of the kids and Eric. Taylor said that Stephanie took care of her family because they needed her. Stephanie said she sometimes felt as if she had lived the wrong life.

Taylor said that Stephanie didn't sound like herself. Taylor told her not to diminish her accomplishments. They discussed that Stephanie was happy at Jackie M, but Stephanie said that for years she had been too demanding for every relationship she had. Stephanie said that she had never wanted to grow old the way she had. Steffy entered and said that she had driven her grandmother's car home and that the battery was fine. Taylor wondered if Stephanie wanted her to delay her flight the next day. Stephanie insisted that she was fine. Taylor told both Steffy and Stephanie to call her if they needed her. Then, Taylor left.

Steffy asked her grandmother what she wanted for dinner, and Stephanie seemed dizzy. She started to struggle for words and then fell over onto the floor. Steffy ran outside to get her mother, but Taylor was gone. Stephanie's vision blurred as she looked up at Steffy. Steffy called 9-1-1.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

by Tamilu

Steffy frantically called 9-1-1 to get help for Stephanie, who had collapsed in the living room floor. Steffy explained to the operator that Stephanie was breathing, but unresponsive, and she asked them to hurry. Steffy knelt over Stephanie's body and begged her grandma to respond. Stephanie saw Steffy through a haze, but could not understand the words that Steffy was saying to her.

Stephanie was unconscious for a few minutes, and then suddenly had a moment of clarity and sat up. Steffy urged her grandmother to lie back down until the paramedics arrived; she feared Stephanie was hurt from the fall. Stephanie insisted that she was fine. Stephanie asked Steffy how she got on the floor and wondered if she had fallen. Stephanie had no recollection of what had happened.

As the sirens approached, Stephanie was annoyed that Steffy had called 9-1-1. Steffy told her grandma to stay seated while she let the paramedics in. As the paramedics entered, Stephanie continued to insist she was fine. However, when the paramedics asked her basic questions like what day it was, and what her address was, Stephanie came up blank. They took her vital signs. Her elevated blood pressure and confusion led them to believe Stephanie might have had a stroke.

Once admitted to the hospital, Stephanie continued to deny that anything was wrong. Stephanie said she had worked too hard, hadn't eaten, and was dehydrated. Stephanie assured the doctor she had only fainted.

Steffy pointed out that the paramedics mentioned that Stephanie could have had a stroke. The doctor made notes on her chart and said she wasn't ruling anything out until she had a chance to review the test results. Steffy wanted to call the family, but Stephanie insisted that Steffy should not worry everyone over nothing.

The doctor entered the room with the test results and asked Stephanie a series of questions concerning symptoms she had experienced. She asked if Stephanie had felt any numbness or tingling in her extremities, if she had any problems with her vision, and if Stephanie had any issues with balance. Stephanie had to admit she had all three symptoms, but reasserted her belief that she had not had a stroke. Stephanie said she would know if something like that had happened to her.

The doctor explained that the test results confirmed that Stephanie did have a stroke, albeit a small one. The doctor warned her that the small stroke was an indicator that a worse one could be coming. That was clearly not the news Stephanie hoped to hear.

Bridget told Nick that it was hard for her to work with him leaning up against her. Nick didn't want Bridget to work, and did his best to distract her. Nick urged Bridget to take a break. Nick said that all work and no play might work for Stephanie, but that Bridget had a husband who wanted to play with her. Bridget got sidetracked and pondered whether or not Stephanie was as happy working as she pretended to be. Nick said he hoped so. When Stephanie was happy, he was happy, too.

Nick said that Bridget hadn't gotten the recognition she had deserved for her contributions to the company. He pointed out that Stephanie and Whip would have nothing to sell if not for Bridget's amazing designs. He called her an unsung hero, and Bridget said that should be rectified right away. She scurried off and returned with Nick's guitar and said she wanted to be immortalized in song.

Nick obliged and made up a cheesy song on the spot about Bridget. The song lauded her talent and position at Jackie M. She giggled as he sang, and the two kissed playfully at the song's conclusion.

Aunt Pam and Thomas talked about Stephanie. Pam confided in Thomas that being away from the family and Forrester Creations had taken a big toll on Stephanie. Thomas thought Stephanie was happy to be the "Big Kahuna" at Jackie M. Pam said that although Stephanie was a force to be reckoned with in the fashion world, she still missed her own family.

Thomas asked Pam if she truly believed Stephanie was going through a rough time. Pam said she did believe that, and felt Stephanie was trying to convince herself that there was nothing she couldn't handle. Pam felt that Stephanie had tried to take on everyone's problems and had forgotten to take care of herself.

Pam said she was worried about Stephanie, and explained to him that Stephanie seemed really "out of it" after the party they threw for her at Jackie M. Thomas said he would try to call Stephanie to set Pam's mind at ease. However, when he called Stephanie's phone, they heard it ring and realized it was still in the house. Pam said that worried her even more, because Stephanie never left without her phone.

Thomas tried to cal Steffy to see where she was, but Steffy didn't pick up.

The doctor reentered Stephanie's room and said they wanted to keep her overnight for observation. Stephanie said she was not going to stay, sat up in her bed, and started pulling out her IV. Steffy asked for a moment alone with her grandmother, and insisted that Stephanie needed to stay overnight.

Steffy reasoned with her grandmother and said even if she didn't have a stroke, it would give the doctors more time to find out what had happened. Steffy vowed that she would not tell anyone in the family where Stephanie was if Stephanie would agree to stay in the hospital. Stephanie reluctantly agreed.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

by Pam

Stephanie entered Taylor's home and Steffy greeted her. Steffy ordered her grandmother to sit down while she made tea. Stephanie sat down and flashed back to when she fell to the floor with a minor stroke as Steffy called 9-1-1. Steffy returned to the room and insisted that Stephanie tell Taylor what had happened. Stephanie reminded her granddaughter that they had a deal to keep the incident a secret. Steffy warned that she could be as tough a negotiator as Stephanie. Steffy promised to keep the secret, but insisted that Stephanie would not be driving. Steffy prepared to drive Stephanie to work.

In her office at Jackie M, Stephanie sat down and appeared tired as Whip, Nick, and Bridget entered for a meeting that Stephanie appeared to have forgotten. They teased her good-naturedly about being forgetful and tired. They guessed it was time to put her out to pasture, but Stephanie angrily replied that she had been building a global company while the three of them were in diapers. She bitterly added that Jackie M had been sold three and four times over before she happened along. She promised that she would still be standing even when Jackie's boy toy husband was using a walker.

The trio was surprised that she had snapped at them and they apologized for teasing her. Whip said that he needed her to sign a contract for some campaign deals, and she promised to sign it later. Whip pointed out that the contract had to go out within hours. Stephanie was irritated and again said that she would sign it after she looked it over again. Pam entered, and Stephanie told her to take notes for the meeting.

Bridget presented her latest swimsuit designs as the group voiced approval. Stephanie admired the lace on the designs, but Whip, Nick, and Bridget looked confused, because the designs did not include lace. Whip suggested that Stephanie meant to say latex. Stephanie tried to brush off the error that she had made while Whip handed her a cup of coffee. She accidentally dumped the coffee all over the designs saying the cup was too hot, and she couldn't hold onto it. Nick suggested that she needed a vacation, but she snapped that he wanted to ship her off to an island. Bridget and Nick reminded her that they were all only teasing her.

Stephanie sternly told them all to concentrate on sales and getting back to work. She suggested that Bridget take the swimsuit designs to the cutting room. She apologized for ruining them with the coffee.

Whip again attempted to get her to sign the contract, but her vision blurred and she couldn't see it at all. Stephanie dismissed everyone and promised to sign the contract and return it to Whip. Everyone but Pam exited, and Pam asked her sister what was wrong. Pam suggested a little sister time, but Stephanie waved her off and recommended that Pam pencil herself into Stephanie's calendar for lunch a week later. Pam appeared to be hurt and left the office.

Stephanie stared off into space as her vision blurred again. She picked up a pen, and attempted to sign the contract, but still couldn't see it. She turned the pages. As she found the signature page, she hesitated to sign her name and decided to practice on another sheet of paper. She weakly held the pen and her signature wobbled into nothing more than a vertical line. She angrily wondered why she was having so much trouble. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair.

In Nick's office, Bridget told Nick that something was wrong with Stephanie. He disagreed and suggested that Stephanie was in need of a good night's sleep. Bridget worried that it was much more.

At Forrester, Eric joked that he should be passing out cigars or something as he, Marcus, and Donna celebrated Marcus' adoption. Marcus promised never to crash the family car or throw wild parties. He promised to make Donna and Eric proud. Marcus had a gift for Eric. He said it was for all the Father's Days that he had missed when he wasn't a Forrester. Eric opened the box and found Marcus' basketball trophy as the league MVP from his senior year in high school. Marcus told Eric that he remembered winning it and scanning the crowd, hoping that his real father was attending the game. Donna looked on proudly as Marcus claimed to have found his real father.

Donna wanted to set up a special dinner, and Eric opened a bottle of champagne. Eric toasted Donna and Marcus, and said that greatness and sweetness had entered his life. He was happy to meet a young man with integrity who was on a fast track to success. Eric admitted that he had thought that his life couldn't get any sweeter, but Donna brought a wonderful man into his life, and Eric was proud to call Marcus his son.

Donna added that the best day of her life was when Marcus knocked on her door. She acknowledged that they hadn't been a family for long, but she said a family didn't need to share blood to be connected. It was all about love and respect. She hugged Marcus. Eric and Marcus left as Donna made a call to schedule reservations for her family's celebration dinner. She asked for a bottle of the finest champagne.

Bill met with Justin over lunch. Bill said that they needed to put his plan into motion to take down Forrester Creations. Justin was distracted, and Bill wondered what was wrong. Justin explained that he was convinced that Marcus Walton was his son. Bill looked surprised and sent a text message to have Jarrett check on Marcus' birth date. Bill added that perhaps Justin just wanted to be the father of Donna's son. Justin argued that what he and Donna had was real. She broke it off when he went away to college, and she offered no explanation.

Bill reminded Justin that Donna and Eric were in love and that Donna was obsessive about her "honey bear." Justin shared that Donna had practically pushed him out of the office when Justin had met Marcus. Justin was convinced that Donna was hiding something. Bill received a text message with Marcus' birth date, and Justin noted that he had to be the father. Bill suggested that Justin return to Forrester to talk to Donna.

Justin entered the office and overheard Donna's phone conversation scheduling the dinner celebration. Justin asked if she was celebrating something. She said it was a family dinner. Justin asked her if he was Marcus' father. She claimed that there was someone else, but Justin said that he knew she would not have cheated on him. He remembered her as the most honest person he knew. He picked up Marcus' basketball trophy and reminded Donna that he had a similar trophy. Donna remembered how proud she was of him as he floated on the court and made basket after basket with the crowd cheering. She sadly said that their relationship would have never worked.

Justin argued that it could have. He saw in her the same girl that he saw in high school. He told her that she had the power to make him the happiest man alive. He asked her again if Marcus was his son. Donna tearfully admitted that Marcus was his son. Justin looked relieved.

Friday, September 25, 2009

by Isaac Mayo

SIn her office, Stephanie looked at an Internet site that discussed the warning signs of strokes. Stephanie's vision was alternately blurry, then clear. Stephanie convinced herself that she hadn't exhibited any of the warning signs, and therefore couldn't have had a stroke.

Pam entered Stephanie's office and Stephanie asked her what she wanted. Pam asked Stephanie what to do with a bottle of champagne that was left over from Stephanie's party, as Pam hated the idea of throwing the champagne out. Stephanie again asked Pam what she wanted. Pam repeated what she had just told Stephanie. An obviously irritated Stephanie told her sister that she didn't care what Pam did with the champagne.

Pam said that she was worried about Stephanie, and added that she depended on Stephanie. She said that Stephanie was working too hard. Stephanie said that she had always been able to function on a busy schedule. Pam said that she wanted to make sure that Stephanie continued to be able to function that way.

Pam asked Stephanie what she was working on at her computer when Pam entered the office. Stephanie lied and said that she was just surfing the Internet. When Pam said that it looked like Stephanie was doing more than surfing, Stephanie asked Pam not to interrogate her.

Pam saw the contract that Whip had asked Stephanie to sign, and reminded Stephanie that Whip wanted Pam to send the contract out by courier that day. Stephanie said that she would get it to Whip later. Pam asked Stephanie why she wouldn't sign it in Pam's presence. Stephanie picked up the contract, became livid, and told Pam not to press her about signing it -- she told Pam that she would sign it when she was good and ready to. Stephanie then dropped the contract on the floor.

Not letting up, Pam asked Stephanie where she had been the previous evening. Pam said that she had stopped by Taylor's to visit Stephanie, but Stephanie had left without her cell phone or her wallet. The sisters continued bickering, and Stephanie told Pam to get back to work. Pam opened Stephanie's laptop and was shocked to see that Stephanie had been looking at information about strokes.

Stephanie told Pam that she hadn't had a stroke. Pam reminded Stephanie that Stephanie had been mixing up words and had dropped a coffee cup and the contract. Stephanie said that people dropped things all the time. Pam asked Stephanie why she was reading up on strokes. Stephanie told Pam to stop badgering her.

Pam said that everyone had been noticing that something was wrong with Stephanie. Stephanie said that everyone was wrong. Stephanie reminded Pam that Pam had been delusional in the past, and that Stephanie had saved Pam from going to jail, and had gotten Pam her job at Jackie M. Stephanie was upset that after everything that she had done for Pam, Pam was repaying her by trying to convince Stephanie that Stephanie's life was about to end.

The sisters began to bicker again, and Stephanie demanded that Pam leave her office. Pam insisted that Stephanie was sick, and needed to be careful. She told Stephanie that if she ignored the warning signs of a stroke, Stephanie could die. She said that Stephanie had always taken care of her, but she wanted a chance to take care of Stephanie. Stephanie again told Pam to leave her office.

As she was about to leave, Pam meekly asked Stephanie to sign the contract that Whip needed. Stephanie stared at the contract, picked it up, dropped it, and, in frustration, screamed, "I can't."

A pensive Steffy was having a cup of coffee at Il Giardino, and recalled Stephanie's collapse. Owen saw Steffy and joined her. Owen noticed that Steffy was preoccupied and wondered what was bothering her. She said that she was thinking about the right thing to do.

Owen said that he understood what Steffy was going through -- that he also was wondering what the right things to do were. He told Steffy that he was trying to get his relationship with Jackie back to the way things once were. Steffy wondered if the information about Jackie's past still bothered Owen. He said that he tried not to let it bother him, but that he couldn't help it. Owen thanked Steffy for having put the situation with Jackie in perspective. Owen wanted to return the favor by helping Steffy.

Steffy told Owen that she was worried about Stephanie. When Steffy said that Stephanie was "going through something," Owen commented that Stephanie seemed to have endless energy. Steffy wondered where Stephanie got that energy -- if it was creativity, or something else. Steffy thought that Stephanie might be using her work as an escape -- having to prove herself, and refusing to look at something that Stephanie actually needed to look at.

Steffy reminded Owen that Stephanie had gone through a lot -- she had lost her husband to a younger woman, and had been fired from the company that she spent her whole life building. Owen said that Stephanie had Jackie M -- and that Stephanie had often said that the people at Jackie M were like her second family. Steffy said that was the one thing that Stephanie could cling to.

Owen told Steffy that Stephanie was lucky to have a granddaughter like her -- someone who really cared. As he held her hand, he told Steffy that she was sensitive and perceptive and didn't always put herself first.

In Eric's office, Donna admitted to Justin that Marcus was his son. Justin was thrilled to learn that he and Donna shared a child. Donna said that she had never told Justin about Marcus because she hadn't wanted to ruin Justin's life. Donna reminded Justin that, at the time she learned she was pregnant, he had just been awarded a basketball scholarship, which meant everything to him.

Donna said that when Justin told her about the scholarship, she was torn. She had wanted to tell Justin about her pregnancy, but she had known how much he wanted to play ball. She said that she thought that Justin was going to become a star, so she decided not to tell him that she was pregnant. She asked Justin if he hated her.

Justin asked Donna how he could ever hate her. He said that he understood why Donna had never told him about Marcus. Donna said that the worst time in her life was when she decided to put Marcus up for adoption. Justin said that when you did something for love, it was never wrong. When Donna said that she had thought that Marcus would be better off in a stable household, Justin said that Donna had made the right decision, as Marcus had turned out to be mature, sensitive, and charismatic. He said that they owed a lot to Marcus' adoptive parents.

Justin said that he wanted to be a father to Marcus. Donna said that there was a problem -- Marcus didn't want to know his biological father. Justin looked devastated. Donna told Justin that Marcus was happier than he had ever been, and that Marcus and Eric had become very close. She said that Eric wanted to adopt Marcus. Justin became upset that Donna's husband wanted to adopt Justin's son.

Donna asked Justin to tell her how he was feeling. Justin said that it was ironic that he found out he had a child with a woman he had once loved, only to learn that the child was going to be gone again. Donna said that was why she thought it best that Justin never learned the truth. Justin said that it was meant that he knew, and that he was happy beyond words. He said that he wanted to get to know Marcus better, but only if that was what Marcus wanted. Donna said that she didn't know what the right thing to do was, but that she would tell Marcus the truth about his paternity. Donna and Justin embraced.

Marcus entered the office and Justin and Donna quickly ended their hug. Marcus, surprised at what he had just seen, apologized for interrupting. Marcus stared at Justin for a moment and asked if Justin was his real father.