In the CEO's office, Rick said he'd told Thomas that Hope had been doing good work. Hope replied that work had been all she'd been doing, and getting over Liam wasn't easy. She felt that she could have forgiven Liam, had it not been for his persistent lie about nothing happening with Steffy the night before the wedding. Hope missed Liam, but she refused to be with a liar.
Rick started to say something, but the door opened. Liam entered and then abruptly tried to excuse himself. Rick asked Liam to stay so that Rick could tell the two of them something. Before Rick could go further, an assistant entered and said that Thomas needed Rick right away.
Rick took off, and Liam guessed that he should leave, too. Hope replied that he shouldn't have barged in there like that -- but she was glad that he had. Liam wondered what Rick had to tell them. Hope suggested that they wait to see, but then she realized that Liam was there to see Steffy. Liam said that he and Steffy were going away -- but Steffy didn't know it yet. Hope grew embarrassed, and as she awkwardly rushed herself out the door, she told him to have fun.
Later, Steffy entered, and Liam surprised her by saying that he'd booked dinner reservations, yachts, and volcano tours in Hawaii. Steffy danced around the room, but then she realized that she couldn't go because Thomas had scheduled an important meeting. Liam said there was no competition between Hawaii and Thomas' meeting, and Steffy asked, "When do we leave?"
Liam said he'd already packed what they needed, and the jet was waiting. Steffy told him that she needed the trip, and they deserved it. Steffy hula danced out of the office, and Liam followed her.
At the mansion, Eric said he'd wondered if Stephanie would have an invitation for him, and she replied that celebrating their lives wouldn't be worth it without him by her side. Eric guessed that his invitation had been the last one, and Stephanie replied that all of the others had been hand-written, delivered, and marinated in tears.
Eric painfully watched Stephanie have a coughing fit. He said that she'd need help with the party. Stephanie had no idea why, because she'd handled all the parties they'd thrown at the house. The couple recalled the weddings, the dancing, and romance they'd shared in the house. They flashed back to Christmases, martini toasts, and their last wedding.
Stephanie said that her heart and life were in that house, and Eric replied that she was the very heart of that home. He said that she needed him, though, because he supplied the laughter, the tears, the love, and the grief. "Never a dull moment," Stephanie replied, and a montage of Stephanie and Eric scenes played across the screen. "What memories," Stephanie uttered, and Eric kissed her hand.
Stephanie said Eric wouldn't be losing her. Impending death had made things crystal clear for her, and she believed they'd always be together. Eric tried not to cry, and he said he'd miss her. She asked him to take joy in their remarkable memories, because they'd keep her alive for him and the family. "As long as you remember, I'll be alive right here," she said, touching his chest. Eric kissed her, and they held each other.
At the Spencer house, Brooke left a message for Katie. Bill charged in and announced that Katie had taken her car. He was devastated because Katie had seemed so determined to leave him and Will. When Taylor arrived and learned about the situation, she wondered if they had a clue as to where Katie could have gone. Bill had a tracking system in Katie's cell phone, and he located Katie at the airport.
Brooke asked Taylor if Katie had said anything in her sessions that might hint to where she'd gone, but Taylor was unable to break Katie's confidence. Taylor figured that a meltdown wasn't unusual for a woman who'd had a C-section and a heart attack. Taylor asked if Katie knew about the phone tracking system. Bill said Katie did, so Taylor figured that Katie probably wanted Bill to track her with it.
Taylor left, and Bill watched Brooke with Will. Bill wished that Katie had that kind of connection with the boy, and Bill blamed himself for the family predicament. Brooke advised him not to blame himself or give up faith, because Katie would return to him and Will. Bill said that Ridge would return, too, because he didn't know how to live without Brooke. Bill received a phone notification of Katie's whereabouts. He told Brooke to get Will ready because they were headed to Aspen, Colorado.
At the beach house, Taylor walked into her living room and gasped, "What are you doing here?" Katie gazed at Taylor from the window seat.
At Taylor's beach house, Taylor was shocked that Katie was hiding out there. Taylor told Katie that Bill and Brooke had been frantically looking for her. Katie said that she had tricked them. She knew that Bill would track her phone, so she had sent someone to Aspen with her phone. Taylor wondered why Katie would hurt Bill, Brooke, and Will so much.
Katie insisted that she was an inadequate mother for Will. Taylor disagreed and told Katie that she could not walk away from her baby. Taylor said that Will needed to bond with his mother. Katie said that she had no desire to bond with the baby.
Katie hoped that Brooke would become Will's mother. Taylor argued that Katie could not walk away from her baby. Taylor wondered how Katie could walk away from Bill. Katie was detached when she said that she was doing what was best for the baby and Bill. Taylor pressured Katie to see that she was wrong.
Taylor reiterated that Katie had suffered a life-and-death experience in the same moment, and it had a deep psychological impact on Katie. Taylor noted that Katie was still afraid that she would die and Will would be without his mom. Katie dismissed Taylor's ideas. Katie said that Will already adored Bill and Brooke. Taylor said that Katie had been making decisions for Bill and Brooke -- decisions they did not want.
Katie told Taylor that she had already made her decision. Katie noted that Ridge would eventually return. If Bill and Brooke were together, it would leave the door open for Taylor to have Ridge -- something she had always wanted. Taylor told Katie that Katie was being irrational. Katie started to argue and hyperventilate, but she insisted that she was going to leave. Taylor tried to calm Katie down, but Katie clutched her chest.
On the Spencer jet, Steffy sat deep in thought as she remembered romantic times on beaches with Liam. She recalled their wedding and many sexy moments they had shared. Liam interrupted her thoughts, and they discussed their trip to Hawaii. Liam kissed her and told her that she was beautiful. Liam said that they should never have gone to Hawaii because he would never let Steffy out of the hotel room.
Steffy laughed and said that they were going on their first real vacation as a couple. They made out, and Bill interrupted. He carried a car seat with Will on board, and Brooke followed him. Bill said that he had ordered the jet to Aspen to find Katie.
Liam demanded an explanation, and Bill explained that Katie had left Bill and the baby. Bill said that he would not stand for her abandoning the baby. Steffy couldn't understand how Katie could change so quickly. Steffy noted that Katie had always had a can-do attitude and had been very excited about the baby. Brooke said that Katie had been through a lot with the baby's birth and a heart attack. Brooke said she wanted to help Katie, but Katie needed professional help.
Bill angrily noted that Katie had not bonded with Will. Steffy said that she was sorry Bill and Katie were having such a rough time. Bill insisted that he would return Katie to Los Angeles. Liam and Steffy noted that Bill had originally been the one who had not wanted Katie to have the baby, and Katie had been the strong one. They noted that it didn't make sense that Katie would have left.
Liam apologized to Steffy that they would not be vacationing in Hawaii. Steffy said Liam needed to be with his family.
Bill was deep in thought. He flashed back to his wedding with Katie when she had told him how much she loved him. Bill flashed back to his own vows -- where he had thanked Katie for making him want to become part of a family -- something he had never wanted before he met her.
Bill flashed back to his doctor's office visits with Katie. He recalled Will's ultrasound and birth and how excited they had been about the baby. "I'm not letting you go, Katie," he said aloud.
In Aspen, Bill, Brooke, Liam, and Steffy drove to Bill's Aspen house. They found an envelope outside the door with Katie's phone and a note that Bill read aloud. "Bill, I'm sorry, but I can't be Will's mommy. I want a divorce. Our son is yours now. Find him a good mother -- something I can't be. Katie." Bill reached into the envelope again and pulled out Katie's wedding ring. Bill panicked and wondered where Katie had gone. Bill started to call out her name, and it echoed into the mountains.
At the beach house, Taylor calmed a very irrational Katie, who insisted that she did not want to be found and needed to disappear so that Will didn't have time to bond with her. Taylor argued that Katie was self-diagnosing and was obsessed with death. Taylor reminded Katie that the doctors had said that Katie could live a very long life and needed to spend time with her family, making memories. Katie argued that Bill and Brooke could raise Will together. Taylor was surprised that Katie had given up so easily and refused to admit that she was depressed.
Katie hated the label of postpartum depression. Katie argued that she was thinking clearly just as Bill did. Katie said that life was about making hard choices -- she had learned that from Bill. Katie said that she had made the hard choices and had made a decision to save her son -- she didn't want to get close to him, because she knew she was going to die.
Katie said that she had been legally dead more than once. She had been shot through the heart, and her heart had stopped when she gave birth. Katie knew that death was around the corner. She insisted that she had to leave. Taylor tried to tell Katie that Katie was healthy. Taylor left the room to get a phone number, and Katie slipped out the door.
Back at home, Katie paid her assistant for leaving the envelope in Aspen. Katie reminded her assistant not to say a word to her sisters or Bill. Katie looked at all the pictures of herself and Bill, and Bill, Katie, and the baby on the mantel. Katie left the Spencer home with luggage.
At a rundown apartment, Katie told the property owner that she wanted to pay monthly and needed privacy. She handed cash to the property owner, and he left. Katie could hear her heart beating as the rain pounded against the windows. Katie hallucinated as she looked at the paintings and decorations in the room. She cried and pulled pictures of Bill and the baby close to her. She continued to hear her heartbeat as it smothered out the noise of the rain.
In Aspen, Bill reread Katie's letter aloud, and he picked up her wedding ring. Bill angrily said that something was wrong with Katie, and she had abandoned him and their son. Bill told Brooke, Liam, and Steffy that he didn't understand how Katie could abandon their son. Steffy reminded Bill that Katie was clearly not in her right mind.
Steffy and Liam exited to the kitchen. Steffy assured Liam that his father and brother would be fine. Steffy credited Brooke for holding it all together for the family. Steffy admitted that she had surprised herself giving Brooke props.
Steffy and Liam drank beers and joked that Steffy had packed nothing but bikinis, and they were at a ski resort. They laughed and kissed. They agreed to stay and support Bill and Katie, if they could find her. Steffy noted that if Katie didn't want to be found, no one would find her.
In the other room, Bill called Taylor, and she said she was about to call him. Taylor told Bill that she had tried to persuade Katie to stay with her and get medical help, but Katie had run away. Bill realized that Katie had purposefully sent them off track in Aspen. Bill said that Katie had gone to great lengths to send them in the wrong direction.
Bill and Brooke discussed the situation. Bill said he didn't know what to do. Bill was angry, but Brooke said that Katie was not rational. Bill said that he didn't want his son to grow up with only one parent. Bill said he still had the scars of growing up with only one parent. Bill worried that if Katie didn't return, he would have to raise the baby on his own. Bill picked up Will and said, "You want your mommy? So do I."
At the Forrester mansion, Stephanie and Dayzee had coffee, and Eric worked at a desk by the fireplace. Dayzee asked why Eric wasn't at Thomas' big meeting, and as he joined them in the sitting area, Eric replied that Thomas would ask if he needed Eric's help. Stephanie joked that her life would have been easier if she'd taken that attitude with the family years earlier.
Dayzee burst into tears, and hugging Dayzee, Stephanie advised Dayzee to get all the tears out, so they could have a good time at the party. Stephanie said she'd had a good run, and along with Dayzee, Stephanie had changed people's lives, including her own.
Dayzee doubted things would be the same without Stephanie, but Stephanie said they'd be the same and different at once. Stephanie noted that Dayzee would still have her marriage and the mission, and Stephanie handed Dayzee some envelopes with donations in them. Stephanie figured giving away her money would shrink the size of the will reading. Dayzee asked if Stephanie would impart any words of wisdom upon everyone. "Be good to each other," Stephanie responded.
Stephanie insisted that Eric get Dayzee an elegant party dress. Eric said gowns and tuxedos were the way Stephanie always threw her parties. He recalled that she'd filled the house with elegance and joy, but he said it'd never be that way again. "Oh, honey," Stephanie responded and patted his arm.
Stephanie thought back on her life and wished she hadn't spent so much time being self-centered and angry. She said things had changed upon meeting Dayzee and the people on Skid Row, who Dayzee had helped. Shrugging, Dayzee murmured that she'd done what she could. Stephanie said it was no small thing, and she asked Dayzee to imagine a world where everyone "did what they could."
In the Forrester corridor, Rick sneaked up to canoodle with Caroline before a big meeting. Hope expressed embarrassment as she interrupted them. The three wondered what the meeting was all about, and Rick surmised that it was about Thomas lording his control over them.
In the CEO's office, Oliver updated Thomas and Marcus on some technical advances he'd made for them. Taylor arrived for Thomas' meeting and asked about the changes he'd been hinting about. Thomas replied that it was time to release the past and step into the future.
Donna and Pam arrived and ribbed each other about being replaced by technology. Pam said she and her lemon bars were irreplaceable. Thorne arrived, and Taylor pulled Donna aside to discuss Katie. Donna was sick about Katie abandoning Will. Taylor said that Will was okay in Aspen with Brooke.
Rick and Caroline arrived, and Rick asked where his father was. Thomas announced that he'd called the meeting because his vision of the future for Forrester would begin that day. Rick challenged Thomas' right to change anything as "interim" CEO. Others urged Rick to hear Thomas out, but Rick wondered whose budget had gotten slashed so Thomas could buy his fancy new toys.
Thomas claimed that his new system would increase productivity and save their slipping profits. Showing some three-dimensional graphs on a screen, he cited that their price point was too high, and their loyalty to classic fashion had become a liability, because the younger generation associated their brand with their grandmas.
Caroline noted that they had lines that appealed to the youth market. Thomas explained that he was talking about their overall image. He said that most of their published team pictures were of Ridge or Eric in the wood-paneled CEO's office, behind a huge desk. Thomas wanted to change the in-house state of mind to inspire the designers and marketing teams to produce cutting-edge work.
Thomas felt that the way to do that was to produce a cutting-edge work environment. Marcus explained the telecommunications aspect of it, and Pam said some people still would want to use the phone. Thomas retorted that some people would also still want Ridge and Eric's classic designs; however, to reach a new market, they had to offer something new and different.
Thomas noted that the younger generation wanted more than a product; they wanted an experience. Thomas had decided that Forrester's boutiques would become like fashion galleries, which would display their designs like artwork. For each design, the stores would only stock one of each size. "Just one?" Hope asked. Thomas said fashion technicians would help customers order online, or customers could use phone applications to browse and buy.
Rick barked that it might be the big trend in New York, but he asked who in his right mind would fight Los Angeles traffic to go to a store to shop online. Thomas claimed that they'd transform the boutiques into places to see and be seen. He wanted to have ping-pong and pool tables and an app bar for downloading fashion apps. He added that they'd also have a disc jockey for special events. Pam asked if they were running a disco or a fashion house.
Marcus inserted that they'd also have apps to link their clients to the charitable organizations that Forrester supported. Rick contended that the joy of shopping was returning home with great purchases. Donna and Pam agreed, but Thomas explained that they'd be wasting prime real estate by paying to warehouse designs in a retail store until they might be bought.
Thorne said it'd be cheaper to ship overnight from a central warehouse to a home or a store, but Pam asked about clients who needed alterations. Oliver explained that their website would list Forrester-recommended tailors. Thomas also wanted to revamp Hope for the Future, which was in a sales slump. He put Rick in charge of that team and announced that Caroline would be working on a new line called Caroline by Thomas Forrester.
Rick clenched his jaw as Thomas explained that "CTF" would be urban, sexy, and edgy for more worldly and sophisticated women. Rick said that Thomas couldn't go around making categorical decisions. Thomas claimed that he had to look out for the company's future, and though Thomas wanted Rick to be a part of it, Thomas warned that he wouldn't let anyone hold them back.
Alone together in the corridor after the meeting, Caroline doubted Rick's claim that Thomas had been trying to impress her with his ideas. She admitted that the ideas were innovative, and she noted that other designers were doing some of them. Rick said that the only thing Thomas had proposed that had made any sense was putting Caroline's name on a line -- and Rick had thought of that first.
Rick wasn't sure Eric would support Thomas' ideas. Caroline asked if Rick would have a problem with her partnering with Thomas. Rick claimed he wouldn't if it were good for her career. Pulling her into his arms, he said that he was thinking like a professional, but he wasn't sure how Thomas was thinking. "Neither am I, but I plan to find out," Caroline replied.
Caroline reentered the CEO's office as Taylor was exiting. Caroline said she'd accept the partnership with Thomas -- as long as it wasn't a ploy to get between her and Rick. Thomas claimed that it wasn't, but he doubted that she and Rick would last. Thomas felt that, just like his father and her aunt, he and Caroline were destined to be together.
Thomas displayed a picture of his father and her aunt. Caroline turned it facedown and quipped, "Maybe it was too much history to live up to." Thomas said he'd felt that way about the CEO position that his father and grandfather had once held; however, he'd realized that he was the one for the job.
Thomas mentioned her cancer foundation, and Caroline said she didn't want to stop working there for her new position. Thomas didn't think the two would interfere with each other, and he additionally offered to donate five percent of their line's profits to the foundation. The floored Caroline couldn't believe he'd do that. He said they could do that -- and so much more.
The grateful Caroline hugged Thomas and pledged her support. Just then, Hope looked through the opening in the doorway and saw the hug. She snapped a photo with her cell phone and backed herself into the corridor.
At the Spencer compound in Aspen, Brooke discussed the Katie situation with Steffy and Liam. Liam had researched Katie's condition and had learned how prevalent it could be. He was amazed that Katie had meticulously planned every detail of her disappearance.
Brooke thought the best that they could do was to protect Will; however, Liam guessed that meant protecting Will from his mother's actions. Liam wondered how Will would feel about his mother walking out on him. Liam also said he didn't know how to help his father. Steffy called Bill the toughest guy they knew. Liam recalled Bill's fear of losing Katie and said that it had become true.
Steffy and Liam left, and Brooke called Donna. Neither woman had heard from Katie, but Donna said she'd talked briefly with Taylor about things. Donna didn't understand what was happening with Katie, but Donna was glad that Brooke was with Will. Brooke replied that Will needed his mother.
In one of the bedrooms, Bill patted the belly of his sleeping son and then picked up Katie's ring. Bill wondered what had happened to Katie, and he flashed back to their wedding and Will's birth. Brooke appeared in the doorway and asked if he were okay. Bill said he was just taking time alone with his son. She told him that she'd be in the other room if he needed anything.
After a while, Brooke returned to check on Bill. She found him asleep on the bed. When she called to him, she got no response. She gasped upon seeing an empty prescription pill bottle on the nightstand.
Outside, Steffy and Liam took a walk around the grounds and recalled Liam tearing up the annulment papers. He said he hadn't been able to let the annulment go through. Steffy guessed that it boggled his mind how different she was from Hope. "Like I always say, 'love the one you're with,'" Steffy said, and with a kiss, Liam replied that he did.
Steffy decided that she and Liam should do something fun. Liam said that being with Steffy made him feel as if he could do anything. He said that Bill had always been right about Steffy, who was just what Liam needed. Steffy guessed it was true that things were better the second time around. Liam agreed, and they kissed.
Just then, Steffy and Liam heard Brooke yelling for Liam to get back to the house because Bill wouldn't wake up. Liam took off running through the woods. He catapulted himself off a rock and leaped through the air as he raced back to the house.
In Rick's office, Hope was worried about the fate of her line because Thomas had redistributed some resources to his new line with Caroline. Hope and Rick didn't think it was a coincidence that Thomas had paired himself with Caroline, and Rick with Hope, but Rick doubted that Thomas would get anywhere with Caroline. "Actually, I want to talk to you about that," Hope replied.
Just then, Taylor arrived to talk to Rick and Hope about Thomas. Rick guessed that Taylor wanted them to bow down to Thomas. "In fact, I'd like nothing more," Taylor responded. Rick said Thomas was taking his temporary position too far. Taylor guessed they'd have to deal with Thomas temporarily -- unless Thomas exceeded everyone's low expectations and took over permanently.
Rick expressed concern that the temporary CEO was making permanent changes to the business. Taylor thought it was a good thing, and she felt that Hope and Rick would, too, if they stopped being so concerned with themselves. "Excuse me?" Rick replied. He then suggested that Taylor remind her son that other family members had a vested interest in the business.
Changing the topic, Taylor said she was sorry that Hope's line was failing, but Taylor attributed it to Hope tying it too closely to her personal life. Taylor thought the on-again-off-again weddings had taken their toll. Hope insinuated that Taylor's daughter had been instrumental in that, but Taylor replied that people hadn't liked Hope being involved with a married man.
Hope took exception to that; however, Taylor felt that Thomas' reboot was needed, and Caroline was the perfect person to take the company into the future. Taylor thought Rick should be glad that Caroline had gotten her own line. Rick quipped that he was, but Caroline had already been working with him on her line, which had been called, The Caroline Collection. Taylor figured that Rick felt threatened by Caroline and Thomas working together. Hope glanced at the cell phone photo she'd taken earlier and rolled her eyes.
Taylor said that if Rick cared about the company, he'd step back and let Thomas succeed. Rick, however, was worried that the inexperienced Thomas would run the company into the ground. Taylor told Hope and Rick that it wouldn't happen, and they needed to let Thomas run the company.
In the CEO's office, Thomas and Caroline prepared for a photo shoot. Thomas wanted Caroline to be the center of attention because it was her line, but Pam noted that the line was Caroline by Thomas Forrester. Marcus responded that the line was a collaboration, just like Donna and Pam working at the receptionist desk.
Thomas asked Caroline if she were nervous, and Caroline said she was excited about seeing Thomas' ideas put into action. She changed into a black, sparkling gown she'd designed and said she was blown away by the changes he'd made to it. She wondered if that were the way it would be to team up with him, and he said it would if she wanted it to be. Caroline twirled around and cooed that it was the first Caroline by Thomas Forrester.
Oliver began the photo shoot, and as Thomas watched, he daydreamed that the line had become a big success, and Caroline had agreed to marry him. After the shoot, Thomas asked Oliver to set up a shoot at Liam's house because Liam had offered to let them use it.
Oliver left, and Caroline said she'd never felt more beautiful. She couldn't wait to show Rick the pictures, and she figured that she and Thomas would make a great team. "Endless possibilities," Thomas thoughtfully replied.
