At the cliff house, Steffy held Phoebe. Ridge offered to help watch the child while Steffy attended Kelly's appointment, but Steffy said that Tiffany, her alternate sitter, was on the way. Ridge asked if Steffy was okay. Steffy was still jarred by Liam acting like Phoebe was Beth, but Steffy figured that she'd never have to hear it again after Liam talked to Flo.
Ridge thought it was a little weird for the levelheaded Liam to believe Douglas' fantasy. Steffy stated that Liam had been suffering Beth's death in silence and was desperate to believe it, but he'd be fine once Flo explained the mix-up at the hospital.
Holding Phoebe, Steffy told the child that they'd been put into each other's lives for a reason. Steffy said she was Phoebe's mama, and it would never change.
Later, Ridge figured that the matter had thrown Steffy for a loop. Steffy remarked that Liam was usually logical. Ridge told his daughter that Liam was wrong. Though the doctor not knowing Flo was peculiar, Ridge believed there would be an explanation for it. Ridge didn't blame Liam, who was still trying to work through losing his child.
Steffy said her brain agreed with Ridge, but her stomach was in knots. Ridge understood. He stated that Beth was gone, and Phoebe was asleep over there. Ridge and Steffy hugged. He said that Liam had to face the fact that Beth was gone, and Steffy was the only mother Phoebe would ever know. Steffy smiled mirthlessly.
Later, Ridge had gone, and the worried Steffy was holding Phoebe. In a sullen tone, Steffy told the child that Mommy was right there.
At the beach house, Flo wanted Wyatt to talk to her instead of looking at her as if he didn't know her. Wyatt didn't feel as if he did know her. The Flo he knew wouldn't lie to Liam, Hope, and Steffy for months about a kidnapping. He was aghast that she'd lied to him, too. Wyatt didn't even know what to do with the horrendous lie.
Flo was sorry and said Wyatt would never know how much she'd hated keeping the secret. "But you did," Wyatt replied. He said she'd gone merrily about her life every day. He asked how she could let Reese steal Liam's child and sell it. Wyatt wanted to know what had made her the kind of person who would let that happen.
Flo thought her answers would sound like excuses. Wyatt insisted that Flo try. Flo stated that she hadn't known what she'd been getting into. He quipped that being a fake mother to a child had been a pretty specific request. Flo claimed she hadn't known that it had been what Reese had wanted her to do at first, and she'd gotten in too deep, too fast. She hadn't known how to get out, and it had been torture, watching Hope suffer.
Wyatt asserted that Flo could have ended it with three words: "Beth is alive." Flo said she'd tried very hard. He didn't think it had been hard enough. In her defense, she replied that people had gotten in her way each time she'd tried -- Reese, Zoe, and Thomas. They'd told her that it had worked out; Beth was in a loving home with Liam and Steffy, and Hope would be a loving mother to Douglas. Flo said they'd told her that she'd ruin everything with the truth.
Wyatt questioned whether it would ruin everything to tell grieving parents that their child wasn't really dead. Flo stated that she, Reese, and Zoe would have gone to prison. Flo knew it sounded selfish, but she'd stood to lose everything, including him.
Moving on to Thomas' role in it once he'd learned the secret, Flo said Thomas hadn't wanted anything to get in the way of him and Hope, and he'd started threatening everyone who'd known, herself in particular. She'd been frightened.
Crying, Flo asked Wyatt to find a way to forgive her. She didn't want them to end that way. She felt that he had every right to be upset, but she assured him that she was still the woman he'd fallen in love with. Wyatt scoffed. She swore that she was and that she hadn't had any idea of what she'd been getting involved in.
Wyatt asked how many opportunities Flo had had to tell the truth. Wyatt said that even if she'd felt that she couldn't tell Hope or Liam, Flo should have told Wyatt. "If you loved me that much, you should have told me the truth," he asserted. She replied that she knew. Wyatt was in disbelief that Flo had done something like that to their family members.
Flo knew she'd messed up and said she should have told Liam and Hope the moment she'd found out their baby was alive. Wyatt was distraught because he'd seen a future with Flo, like the one they'd dreamed of when they'd been in high school, but it would have been better. They would have had a family. Flo stated that she and Wyatt could still have it -- someday.
Flo hoped that she could one day prove to Wyatt that he could trust her again. Wyatt didn't know how it was possible when she'd been smiling in their faces for months while withholding the most vital information imaginable. He hadn't known that she could be that kind of person.
Flo couldn't believe it, either, but in her view, the secret had taken on a life of its own. She'd hated feeling trapped and helpless all those months. She was glad that it was finally out. She was able to breathe again. Wyatt said that the person before him wasn't the woman that he trusted and wasn't the woman that he loved.
Wyatt was questioning everything, including his own judgment. He'd believed that he could never be with someone so callous, so he wondered how he'd been all-in with her. Flo blamed herself; she was the one who'd let people talk her into silence when she should have just gone back to Vegas as she'd planned. He asked why she hadn't. Flo claimed that it had been because of Wyatt, the only man she'd ever loved.
Flo reminded Wyatt that he'd helped her find her father and her family. Walking away from that had seemed impossible. She'd felt that if she had told the truth, she would lose everything. Wyatt replied that Flo would have been everyone's hero. Flo stated that her mother had advised her to live in the moment, and Flo hadn't been able to stand the thought of losing Wyatt again.
"But I did, didn't I? I did," Flo concluded in Wyatt's silence. She'd known that she would, and she figured that it didn't matter because she would probably go to jail, anyway. She didn't see how Liam and Hope could forgive her. Flo had always known that there would be consequences.
Flo decided that the only important thing at that point was Liam and Hope putting their family back together. With the truth out, Hope could finally get to be a mother to her child.
In the corridor at Forrester, Thomas banged on the door to the CEO's office, demanding that Hope not listen to Liam and that Liam open the door. Thomas searched through Pam's desk drawers, looking for a key to let himself into the office.
Inside the office, Liam revealed to Hope that Thomas had known all along that Phoebe was really Beth. Hope was perplexed by what Liam was saying. She had a hard time accepting that Phoebe was Beth and that Thomas had known about it the entire time. Liam said that Thomas had taken advantage of her broken heart, but it didn't have to be broken anymore because she and Liam had their miracle.
Hope shook her head in disbelief. Liam proclaimed that Beth was alive. He asked why Hope thought that they felt a connection to Phoebe. He said that it was because Phoebe was theirs. He asked Hope to go with him, saying that once she took one look at the baby, she'd know.
Behind them, the lock on the door broke as Thomas barreled into the room. Shoving Liam, Thomas ordered Liam to get away from Thomas' wife. Hope got between the men, cupped Thomas' face, and asked if Liam's words were true. Liam urged Thomas to tell the truth.
Thomas told Liam to back off. Liam took that as a nondenial and said Thomas was a sick "bastard," manipulating Hope with her own grief. Thomas urged Hope not to listen to Liam, who was just trying to turn Hope against him. Thomas called Liam a lying "son of a bitch."
"Tell that to your son," Liam quipped. Thomas punched Liam. Hope tried to go to Liam, but Thomas hustled her out of the back door of the office.
In the vacant area on the roof that had once been the Sky Lounge, Hope yanked herself away from Thomas, who was dragging her toward a door. She ordered him to let her go, but he said he couldn't lose her. He implored her to go with him, and then she'd see how much he loved her. Hope cried that "this" wasn't love.
Thomas told Hope that he'd had to get her away from Liam. "But what he said," Hope responded. Thomas claimed that it was a lie, and Liam was trying to sabotage them. Hope stated that Liam had said that Beth was alive. Calling it outrageous, Thomas tried to convince her that Liam was just messing with her head, and Thomas wouldn't allow it.
Hope complained about Thomas hitting Liam, but Thomas believed that Liam had deserved it for trying to lock Thomas' wife in a room and fill her head with lies. Hope asked Thomas who he was. Gripping her arms, he said that he was her husband, and she couldn't believe Liam, who was trying to make him look bad. Thomas hadn't meant to scare her; he just loved her "so much."
Hope said that if Thomas loved her, he needed to tell her the truth about Beth. Hope promised not to leave him or get mad. Thomas ordered her to forget about Beth and Liam. Out of nowhere, Liam punched Thomas to the ground.
Thomas and Liam exchanged kicks and blows, each knocking the other to the floor. Hope yelled for Thomas to stop. She grabbed his arm, stopping him from hitting Liam again. Shoving a cart out of his path, Thomas escaped through the door that he'd tried to take Hope through earlier.
On a higher rooftop, Thomas phoned his pilot, frantic about what was delaying the helicopter. Liam rushed Thomas from behind, punched him to the ground, and put him in a headlock. Liam ordered Thomas to tell Hope that he'd been lying and keeping her daughter from her.
Thomas struggled, but then he gazed up at Hope and closed his eyes in resignation. "Oh, my God!" Hope gasped. Thomas elbowed Liam and slipped out of his grasp. Liam scrambled to his feet to pursue Thomas, but Hope called Liam's name, halting him.
Liam huffed to catch his breath. Hope cried that it was true; Beth was alive. Liam affirmed it, but she replied that she'd held the dead baby in her arms. He explained that it hadn't been their baby, and their baby was alive. He said they'd known her from the start. Steffy had had the baby the whole time, but it wasn't Steffy's fault because she hadn't known it.
"We're gonna have our family back!" Liam declared. Hope gasped, half-laughing, half-crying. Her knees buckled, and Liam swiftly caught her. Clinging to Liam, Hope sobbed and laughed, saying. "Beth is alive! She's alive!"
On the roof of the Forrester building, Liam and Hope clung to each other, laughing and crying about the fact that Beth was alive. Hope didn't know how it could be possible. Liam said that Douglas had been right. Liam planned to explain it all to Hope, but first, he wanted her to see the baby. Hope hugged Liam and tearfully thanked him.
At the cliff house later, Liam stood in the doorway, waving to Tiffany and thanking her for babysitting. He entered the house, where Hope was in the living room, crying tears of joy. Taking her hand, Liam led her to the nursery door. Hope panicked and began crying more.
Comforting Hope, Liam said he knew it was a big moment. He instructed her to breathe. As Hope tried to calm down, Liam decided to retrieve the baby for Hope. Hope nodded and cried.
Hope sat on the sofa with a blanket in her lap and relived the last days of her pregnancy and the devastation that had followed. Liam entered the room with Beth in his arms, and grinning, Hope reached for the child. Liam handed the baby to her and sat with them on the sofa.
Hope told Beth that she hadn't gotten to hold her the night she'd been born, but they'd erase that night and start over. "Mommy's here," Hope said, and Beth cooed, "Ma Ma Ma Ma." Crying, Hope embraced the child.
Liam said that it was their little girl, healthy and perfect. Hope told Beth that Beth had been in her heart the whole time, and they were united. She said Beth would begin anew with her mommy and daddy. Hope vowed to never let Beth go.
"Never again," Liam added. He leaned in and kissed Hope.
At Brooke's house, Brooke greeted a troubled Ridge. He wasn't into their kiss, and she knew instantly that something was wrong. Not sure that anything was wrong, he revealed that he'd been with Steffy. Brooke hoped nothing was wrong with the girls.
Ridge conveyed that it was Liam and asked if Liam had been asking Brooke any questions about Flo or the adoption. Replying that Liam hadn't, Brooke asked why Ridge was inquiring. Ridge told Brooke that Liam suspected that Flo wasn't Phoebe's birth mother.
Ridge went on to explain that Liam had contacted the doctor on Phoebe's birth certificate. The doctor hadn't had Flo as a patient, and there had been no record of Flo giving birth at the hospital. It was weird to Brooke, who wondered if the facility had lost the records.
Ridge stated that Steffy was concerned about it, and Brooke asked if Steffy had a reason to be concerned. Shrugging, Ridge wondered how well Brooke knew Flo. Brooke replied that one had to wonder. He asked what one had to wonder about Storm's daughter.
Brooke trusted Liam's instincts and had a hunch that he might be onto something. On the contrary, Ridge didn't think Liam knew what he was talking about and said that even though there was a problem with the paperwork, Flo herself had said she'd given birth to Phoebe.
"Flo told us that -- but not her mom," Brooke stated. Brooke recalled that Shauna had been shocked upon learning about the adoption and Phoebe. It had been strange to Brooke at the time, and after witnessing how close Flo and Shauna were, it had become even stranger to Brooke that Shauna hadn't even known about the pregnancy.
Ridge reasoned that Flo hadn't wanted her mother to know. He saw no conspiracy in it. Brooke replied that there might be because of the birth certificate issue. Ridge dismissed it as a clerical error. Brooke inquired about what else Liam had said, but Ridge told her that it wasn't about Liam's theories. It was about supporting Steffy, not making it worse.
Brooke persisted, noting that Liam apparently thought there was more to the issue. Ridge assumed that Liam was going through something. Reluctant to say more, Ridge stated that it wasn't like Liam, and he knew Liam wouldn't want to say things to hurt Steffy and Hope. Brooke urged Ridge to tell her, and he relayed that Liam thought Phoebe was Beth.
Puzzled, Brooke asked if Liam thought Beth was alive. Ridge was concerned about Liam, who might be reeling from moving in with Steffy or from Hope marrying Thomas. Brooke asked how Steffy had reacted. Ridge conveyed that Steffy was upset and concerned.
"But other weird stuff was said," Ridge added. He stated that Liam thought Phoebe was Beth. "What?" Brooke exclaimed. Ridge realized that they'd been so concerned about Hope that they'd forgotten about Liam's grief.
Ridge explained that it had all started when Douglas had told Liam that Phoebe was Beth. Brooke wondered why Douglas would say such a thing. Ridge theorized that the boy had misunderstood something that Thomas had said. "He heard it from Thomas?" Brooke asked.
Agitated, Ridge affirmed it and noted that Thomas wasn't answering his phone. Ridge assumed that it was because Thomas was on his honeymoon and insisted that everyone had to accept that marriage. Ridge declared that there was no more Liam and Hope, and Beth was gone.
Brooke methodically lifted her purse straps and pulled the bag onto her shoulder. Ridge asked where she was going. Brooke wanted some answers, and she figured that Flo had them. Ridge followed Brooke out the front door.
At Forrester, Shauna arrived in the CEO's office after receiving a message from Flo, who was searching under papers on the conference desk. Seeing a box of Flo's work paraphernalia, Shauna asked what Flo was doing.
Flo was searching for her badge, which she was sure security would want her to return. Shauna asked what was going on and if Flo had talked to Wyatt. Grabbing her box, Flo said she had to leave immediately. She doubted she'd be wanted there much longer.
Shauna asked if Wyatt knew the secret. Flo indicated that it was over, and Wyatt and Liam knew. Shauna was shocked that Flo had told Liam. Flo clarified that Liam had figured it out on his own, and she hadn't been able to deny it. Flo was sure Hope knew by then, too.
Shauna said that it was the doctor's fault, and Flo wasn't going to prison for it. Flo felt that she deserved to pay for going along with it and not stopping Reese. Flo had known that the day would arrive, but nothing had prepared her for how Liam and Wyatt had looked at her or how devastated Wyatt had been. In her mind, it was over, and her new life was gone.
Flo couldn't imagine how Hope would react. Shauna assumed that Hope would be thrilled about her baby. Flo suspected that Hope would hate Flo for keeping them apart for so long, and so would Hope's family. "And they should," Flo concluded.
Flo explained that Wyatt hadn't understood why she hadn't revealed it months sooner. Shauna thought it was easy to pass judgment when one wouldn't suffer the repercussions. Owning her mistakes, Flo said she'd stood by and watched Liam and Hope's life fall apart. Flo had wanted to tell Hope but had allowed everyone to talk her out of it.
Shauna told Flo to blame it on Shauna, who'd been so afraid for her daughter that she hadn't been able to think straight. Flo said she was responsible for her own actions, and she couldn't keep only thinking about herself. The most important thing was Hope's reunion with her baby.
Later, Shauna was trying to convince Flo to leave town. Flo refused to run from the issue. She needed to face everyone, especially Hope. Flo believed that she should have had the courage to step forward a long time before.
Just then, Brooke and Ridge arrived, relieved to have located Flo, who they'd heard was in the building. Ridge said they had questions for Flo. Brooke asked if Liam had contacted Flo about Phoebe's birth certificate. Brooke explained that Liam had discovered that the doctor on the birth certificate didn't know Flo, and the hospital had no record of her as a patient.
Flo acknowledged that she'd talked to Liam and that he'd told her. Brooke asked if Liam had also told Flo that he suspected his daughter was alive and was actually Phoebe. Shauna said that if Brooke thought Flo had done something wrong, Brooke needed to just say it.
Brooke said Hope had brought Flo into the company and the family. Brooke stated that Flo had given Steffy that precious little girl. "Or did you? Are we wrong, or is Liam wrong?" Brooke asked. In Flo's silence, Brooke demanded to know what was going on. Flo said nothing, and Brooke asked if Flo had given birth to Phoebe.
Flo revealed that she hadn't and that she wasn't Phoebe's mother. "What? Well, if you're not her mother, then who is?" Brooke asked. Flo didn't answer, and Brooke persisted, "Who is it, Flo? Tell me, damn it! I want to know. Is it Hope? Is that little girl my granddaughter?"
Flo blurted out that it was true -- Phoebe was Hope's baby. Beth was alive and had been there the entire time with Steffy. Brooke gasped, and Flo declared that Phoebe was Hope's baby.
At Steffy's house, Liam and Hope sat down and held Beth. "This is our baby. This is our Beth. She's so beautiful," Hope said. She hugged her daughter. Hope said she felt like she was seeing her daughter for the first time. Liam agreed. Liam and Hope stroked Beth's hair and cradled her. They marveled that it was all really happening.
Beth was vocal and interacted with her parents. "We really thought we lost you," Hope said. They cried happy tears and laughed while Beth cooed. Hope demanded an explanation of how everything had gone wrong. She worried that she was dreaming, but Liam verified that Beth was there, and she was their daughter.
Liam promised to explain everything, and he wanted to let it all sink in for a few minutes. "No, I need to know," Hope said. She said she didn't understand how it could have happened because Dr. Buckingham had told them that Hope had died. "Dr. Buckingham lied," Liam said. Hope insisted she'd held Beth, and Beth was dead.
Liam explained that it was all a long story and that he had uncovered the truth when Flo had slipped up and told Wyatt she'd never given birth. After that, Liam had checked into the birth certificate and discovered that Flo had never given birth and that there was no record of the baby that Steffy had adopted being born at the hospital on the birth certificate.
Liam further explained that at Hope's wedding to Thomas, Liam had overheard Thomas threaten Flo about keeping a secret from Hope. Liam said that he and Wyatt had confronted Flo, and she'd told them the truth. Flo had admitted that she'd posed as the birth mother because Reese had asked her to do him a favor. When Hope had been in labor and passed out, Liam explained, Reese had taken their daughter, Beth. Reese had switched their baby with that of another woman who had been at the clinic and had given birth earlier, but it had been a stillbirth.
Hope lamented that Reese Buckingham had stolen their baby. Liam agreed. Hope wondered why. Liam answered that it had all been for money. Reese had people in Las Vegas, threatening him that if he didn't pay a debt he owed, they would hurt his daughter Zoe. Hope asked how Steffy had come to adopt Beth.
Liam said that Taylor had known Dr. Buckingham through medical contacts, and Taylor had shared that Steffy had wanted to adopt a baby girl. Liam added that Taylor and Steffy had had no idea what Reese had done. They had believed that Flo was the birth mother. Hope was angry.
Liam and Hope lamented that Reese had looked them in the eye and told them that Beth was gone. Hope wanted to know who else had known about the baby switch in addition to Dr. Buckingham and Flo. Liam said that Zoe had known. He assumed that Zoe had never said anything because she'd wanted to keep her father out of jail. Liam added that Xander and Emma had known, also. Emma, he said, had been on her way to tell Hope the truth when she'd died in a car accident.
Liam reported the frightening news that Emma and Thomas had been arguing before he'd followed her and her car had gone off the road. "Thomas was there -- chasing her in her car," Liam said. Liam was angry that Thomas had known about Beth when Liam and Hope had been discussing an annulment. "Do you see what a sick bastard he is?" Liam asked.
Hope thanked Liam for saving her. She said she was grateful to him. They caressed each other and the baby. Hope said, "You saved me, saved us. We have a daughter. We have Beth."
Beth cooed, and Liam and Hope agreed that Douglas had been the one to share the truth. They felt that he had been brave to tell them, and they had all thought he'd been confused. Liam said there had been a lot of clues. When Flo said her mother hadn't known she'd been pregnant when they'd been living in the same city, it hadn't made sense. Liam and Hope agreed that they believed Flo had wanted to put the adoption behind her.
Hope said that she remembered that Flo had told Hope repeatedly that she and Liam had to have another child -- it was all because she'd felt such guilt. Hope recalled that she had been devastated at work, and Zoe had never said a word. Liam promised that everyone would get what they deserved, but he wanted to relish their time together as a family for a while. Hope agreed they had their own "little miracle" in Beth.
Hope said Beth knew. Hope reminded Liam that Beth had called her "Mama" at the wedding. Liam was angry that Thomas had tried to manipulate Hope. They agreed they could rebuild and introduced Hope to her mommy and daddy. "Welcome to our family," Hope said. They were tearful and said they loved each other and snuggled Beth.
At Forrester, Brooke and Ridge unleashed their furor on Flo and her mother, Shauna. Brooke couldn't believe that they had hidden the truth from Hope and everyone. Shauna tried to make excuses for her daughter, but Brooke ordered her to stop. "It's too late. There's no protecting her now," Brooke said. Flo apologized, but Brooke was livid. "How could you do it?" Brooke asked. Flo said that she hadn't known the baby belonged to Liam and Hope at first. When she'd found out, she'd already been in too deep.
Brooke and Ridge were disgusted. Zoe entered then tried to leave, but Ridge told her she wasn't going anywhere. Brooke accused her and her father of kidnapping Beth. "I don't know what you're talking about," Zoe said. Ridge, Brooke, Shauna, and Flo told Zoe it was too late.
Brooke and Ridge were livid that Zoe had known what her father had done and said nothing. Zoe begged Brooke and Ridge to remember that her father had been trying to save Zoe's life. Brooke and Ridge noted it was at the expense of a baby and their daughters. Zoe, Shauna, and Flo all apologized, but Ridge and Brooke wanted to hear none of it.
"In the clinic, Reese put a dead baby in my daughter's arms," Brooke said angrily. She shouted at all of them that it had been so traumatizing that she hadn't been sure Hope would make it at times. Zoe apologized and said her father hated himself for doing it, but Ridge said he had done it all for the cash.
"What about you, Flo? I can't believe you did this as a favor," Brooke seethed. "Just be honest," Shauna advised. "Reese gave me a little bit of the money," Flo said. She tried to say that she hadn't wanted it, but Brooke was disgusted.
Flo said it was all over. Ridge said that it wasn't over. Flo, Shauna, Zoe, and Reese had destroyed Hope and Steffy's lives. Flo explained that Taylor and Steffy had never known about the baby switch. They had believed that Flo was the birth mother.
Ridge was furious that they had let Steffy raise Hope and Liam's baby. Brooke added that Hope had taken Flo into her family -- they were cousins. Brooke said that Hope's heart had broken "into a million pieces, and her marriage fell apart." Brooke told them they had willingly committed a vicious crime against her daughter.
Ridge made a call and communicated that he wanted Reese Buckingham found and arrested. Zoe begged Ridge to show mercy to her father because he had been desperate. Ridge and Brooke shook their heads. Shauna begged Brooke and Ridge to lock her up -- not Flo. Ridge and Brooke promised there would be consequences for all of them. "My granddaughter is alive. We have to tell Hope," Brooke said. Ridge agreed.
At Forrester, Zoe was on a call, unsuccessfully trying to locate Reese, who the person on the line said might be on assignment. Zoe tried to leave a message for her father, but taking his phone back from her, Ridge said she didn't get to do that. He told the person on the line to let him know if they found something.
After the call ended, Ridge inquired about the involvement of the doctor on the birth certificate. Flo said the doctor hadn't been involved. Ridge looked expectantly at Zoe, prompting her to say that she hadn't found out about any of it until Reese had done it and had returned to London. Shauna stated that her daughter hadn't known about it, either.
Flo claimed that she'd learned about the scam the night before the adoption was finalized. She claimed she hadn't known the whole story -- just enough to know that she hadn't helped anyone but Reese. Brooke stated that Flo had gone through with it, anyway. Flo alleged that Reese had told her that it had been too late to back out because she'd already represented herself as the birth mother. Additionally, she'd thought Steffy and Taylor had been good people.
"And it didn't matter to you that the baby you were selling them was stolen?" Brooke asked. Claiming that it had, Flo said she was trying to explain herself the best she could. At the onset, the birth mother had been just a random name to her; however, upon meeting Hope, everything had changed for Flo.
"You know what? Blame me. Actually, blame Zoe," Shauna chimed in, gesturing to Zoe. Zoe grimaced at Shauna, who claimed that, though Flo wanted to reunite Hope with her baby, "we" had all been too afraid. Brooke said that the consequences they'd tried so hard to avoid were nothing in comparison to what they would actually face.
Shauna stepped in front of the office doors. Ridge told her to step away from them, but she said she wouldn't leave without her daughter. "I find that ironic," Ridge quipped. Brooke decided to call Hope. After she'd dialed the number, Hope's phone chimed in the office.
Reaching for Hope's phone, Zoe said she'd forgotten why she'd stopped by the office. A hotel had sent a driver to return Hope's phone, which had been left in a hotel room. Brooke took the phone, and she called Liam from her own phone.
At the cliff house, Hope wondered if Beth looked like her or Liam. Liam thought Beth looked like herself. Hope said they looked like the family she thought they'd never be, and she was very sorry. He told her to stop that talk. Hope stated that Beth had always been familiar -- even when they'd called her Phoebe. "And she already had a mother," Hope uttered.
Just then, Steffy arrived with Kelly, who'd gotten a clean bill of health from the doctor. "Look, Kelly. We have company," Steffy apprehensively said when she laid eyes on Hope.
Liam received a call and told Hope that it was her mom. Brooke, who informed him that Flo had told "us" everything, asked if he'd found Hope. He conveyed that Hope was with him. Brooke wanted to talk to Hope, but Liam said it wasn't a good time.
Hope decided to take the call. Brooke told Hope that the miracle Brooke had prayed for had finally happened. Hope explained that Steffy had just arrived home. Brooke asked if Hope was at Steffy's house. Hope said she and Liam were there to see Steffy and the girls.
Steffy offered to take the baby while Hope was on the phone, but Hope said she had the baby. Hope wanted to talk to Brooke later. Brooke stated that it wouldn't be as easy to walk out the front door with Beth as Hope thought. Hope said she knew, and she ended the call.
Steffy wanted to put both girls down for a nap, but Liam asked if Phoebe could stay up a little longer. Hesitantly, Steffy agreed and said she'd be right back. Once she had left with Kelly, Liam said he hadn't realized until seeing Steffy how difficult it would be. Hope replied that it wouldn't be as difficult as what they'd already lived through.
Back at the office, Ridge wanted to go to Steffy's house, but first, he had to call the police. Brooke asked Ridge to wait and think about how they'd handle publicity. She said that the moment he made the call, camera crews would swarm the place. Shauna doubted that he wanted that for Hope and her baby.
Ridge ordered Shauna, Zoe, and Flo to hand over their driver's licenses. He figured that way, they couldn't rent a car or get on a plane. "You're not going anywhere," he concluded. Shauna asked if she at least got a phone call. Ridge said it would happen when he permitted it. He asked if Carter had had any part in it. Flo affirmed that Carter hadn't and that all the false documents had come from Reese or someone Reese had hired.
Ridge figured that Steffy would be devastated. Brooke suggested that they give Liam and Hope a little time with Steffy. "Thomas just got married. What about him and Hope? Now that Liam's coming back, are they gonna get back together?" Ridge asked Brooke.
Zoe murmured that she wouldn't worry about Thomas. Ridge barked that no one was talking to her. Flo stated that what Zoe meant was that no one had to worry about Thomas, who already knew about Beth, the fake adoption, all of it. Zoe added that Thomas had known for months.
Ridge didn't believe it. Brooke asked if Thomas had married her daughter while knowing that Beth had been alive, and he hadn't said anything. Zoe and Flo exchanged glances. In unison, they answered, "Yes." Ridge assumed that they wanted to take down anyone else they could.
Flo explained that Zoe and she had argued about it daily. One day, Xander had overheard them, and he'd gone right to Hope. Zoe said it had been the day of the annulment. Flo conveyed that Thomas had stopped Xander. Ridge didn't believe it. Flo affirmed that Thomas had done it, and he'd forced the whole story out of her. At the time, Flo had been sure he'd tell Hope. Flo claimed she'd wanted him to because she'd wanted to tell Hope for so long.
"But you didn't," Ridge asserted. Flo told them that Thomas hadn't, either, because he'd known that Hope would go right back to Liam. Zoe informed the Forresters that Thomas had threatened them all within an inch of their lives if they ever said a word to anyone. It was insane to Ridge, who hailed his son as a good guy and a good father, who wouldn't do things like that.
Brooke chimed in that they all knew Thomas had a dark side. Ridge refused to believe it until Thomas said it himself. Concluding that the details would take care of themselves, Brooke thought the most important takeaway was that Liam and Hope had their daughter back. Ridge stated that his daughter's nightmare was just beginning.
Back at Steffy's house, Steffy wondered about the honeymoon Hope was supposed to be on. Hope was sure Thomas would explain things. Steffy wasn't and noted that he wasn't even answering his phone. Hope wondered if Douglas was okay and said that Tiffany had said his friend's mother had picked him up.
Steffy affirmed that Douglas was okay but said he'd been acting out before he'd left. She added that Douglas and Hope had both behaved oddly. Looking at Liam, Steffy said he had, too. "And could you please put my daughter down? It's not good for her to be constantly carried," Steffy told Hope. Liam promised that the baby was okay.
Steffy asked why her maternal instincts were screaming that something was wrong and different about the way Hope was holding the baby. Saying she understood, Hope put Beth in a nearby playpen. Steffy stated that she knew Hope felt close to Phoebe, "but..." Hope replied that nothing about "this" was normal.
Steffy noted that Hope should be on her honeymoon and that Liam had torn out of there to find Flo. Steffy asked what Flo had said. Liam revealed that there hadn't been much Flo could say after he'd confronted her with the facts about the doctor and the hospital, and Flo had admitted that she wasn't really the birth mother. "It was an act," he said.
It didn't make sense to Steffy. "No, but it's what she did," Hope replied. Retrieving her phone, Steffy started to call Flo but then decided to call Carter, in case they had to take legal action. Liam didn't want Steffy to make any calls just yet. She asked why. He said he wasn't making excuses, but he was inclined to believe Flo when she said she hadn't known.
"Flo didn't know she was lying?" Steffy asked. Liam said Flo hadn't understood the scale of it and had been trying to help a doctor friend place a motherless child. Steffy asked where they'd gotten the child. Liam claimed that the doctor had gotten to plead confidentiality, so Flo hadn't known. Flo had thought she'd been doing a good thing by helping the abandoned child find a home.
Steffy figured that, though Liam hadn't named the child, he knew the child's name. Hope replied that they did. Steffy began poring over the adoption papers. She confirmed with Liam that he had spoken with Dr. Cortez and asked Liam to call Thaddeus Foster, the man listed as Flo's lawyer. Liam dialed the number on the letterhead of a document, but it was out of service.
Steffy wondered if the medical exam they'd given her for Phoebe was also fake. Hope took a look at it and asked if Steffy's regular pediatrician had seen it. Steffy said that Dr. Andrews had received the records and had found no discrepancies. Noting that the report wasn't signed, Hope concluded that the medical exam was "his" only truthful contribution.
"Steffy, don't you wonder who the mother is?" Liam asked knowingly. Steffy declared that the baby's name was Phoebe. Steffy never wondered about it because she was the mother. She'd heard enough of the crazy theories and was done with it. Hope said she was very sorry to say it, but Steffy's adopted daughter had been stolen. "What?" Steffy asked.
"Kidnapped. Taken from her mother," Hope stated. Steffy said that Hope didn't know that, and it could have been a different patient. Hope agreed that there had been another patient, "but..."
To herself, Steffy quizzically repeated that the baby had been stolen and asked if Flo had said it.
Liam nodded. Steffy sat down and sighed.
Steffy was amazed to hear that the doctor had just taken a baby from a patient. Liam explained that the doctor had needed a lot of cash fast to pay gambling debts, but Flo hadn't known it at the time. Steffy was horrified that a mother had gone through delivery and had been told -- "That she died," Hope concluded, wiping away tears.
Steffy couldn't imagine it and said, "If anyone took my girls from me..." Hope and Liam exchanged glances. Steffy asked why the mother hadn't said anything or demanded to see the baby. Hope asserted that the mother had.
Liam explained that a second patient had had a stillborn baby that night, and Hope added that it had been the baby the doctor had placed in the first mother's arms. Physically reacting to what she'd heard, Steffy said she was going to be sick. She recomposed herself and figured that they had to know who the birth mother was. "Steffy..." Hope uttered.
Steffy wanted to call Carter. She said they had to hold the people who'd done it accountable. Liam replied that it was his guess that it was being done. Steffy wondered if she'd have to prepare for a lawsuit. Hope said it wouldn't happen. Steffy quipped that it was easy for Hope to say. Liam asked if they could talk for a while and leave the calls for later.
Steffy realized that her mother's colleague had to have dealt with the doctor who'd passed Phoebe off as abandoned. Hope gently replied that the colleague and doctor were the same person. Steffy said her mother would not have participated in it. Hope told Steffy that no one thought that. Steffy asked if Flo had told them who the doctor was.
Liam set Beth in Hope's lap, and Hope revealed that it had been Dr. Buckingham. Steffy recalled that he and her mother hadn't gotten beyond the flirting stage. "Unless you count business transactions," Liam quipped. Steffy didn't care about the money and was sure Taylor wouldn't, either, as long as Phoebe was there.
Hope stated that Steffy had been a wonderful adoptive mother. Steffy declared herself the mother. She said the papers had been fabricated, but the relationship hadn't been. Hope asked if Steffy recalled that Hope had also been Dr. Buckingham's patient. It had been the night of the storm, and Liam hadn't been able to get to Catalina.
Hope said she'd thought the clinic had been deserted, but in reality, another patient had been there. She remembered trying hard in delivery and passing out. She'd awakened to see Liam beside her, and he'd told her that Beth hadn't made it. Hope said Liam hadn't known. He hadn't seen the second mother, the one whose dead child Dr. Buckingham had put in Hope's arms.
Liam said that Flo had verified it, and Zoe had known for a while, too. "And so did your brother," he added. Steffy tearfully said Thomas' name. Hope explained that it had all been lies and secrets and sadness. The darkness of that night had consumed everything until they'd met that little girl, and finally, they knew why.
Hope knew that it was a shock, but she said Steffy could help care for the baby. "And maybe in a few days, when you feel up for it, because -- because at this point, you know my daughter better than I do. Steffy, this is Beth," Hope told the disconcerted Steffy.
In the design office, Eric was impressed with some revisions he'd requested that Sally make to a design. She hadn't known if she'd gone too far when he'd asked her to be daring. He said she'd done it while staying with the intent of the design. She'd also done it quicker than he'd imagined, and he noted that she'd been throwing herself into her work.
Sally murmured that she'd had to do something when her social life had ground to a halt. Eric told her that she was a valuable asset. He said she didn't have to pretend that it didn't hurt. He could tell that she still loved Wyatt. Eric was sorry the couple hadn't worked out. Sally asked who needed a man when there was designing to do.
Eric thought there was more to do than work when dealing with heartbreak. Sally said that drowning her sorrows had gotten old, and wallowing wasn't in her personality. Agreeing, Eric told her that she had way too much talent to waste on that. She also had too much beauty and the right amount of her aunt's flare. Sally wanted Eric to write her dating profile. Willing to do it, he was sure some lucky man would recognize her attributes. She wished it had been Wyatt.
Later, Sally was alone when Wyatt paid her a surprise visit. She asked what was going on. He said something had happened. She asked if it was good or bad. He reasoned that it was a lot of both, and she asked what it was. Wyatt explained that it was a long story and said people weren't what they seemed sometimes. Assuming he meant Flo, Sally asked what Flo had done.
Wyatt wanted to apologize to Sally before he got into the other stuff. She didn't think he had anything to apologize for, and she regretted keeping the secret. He replied that he'd been upset, and he didn't like secrets. It was hard for him that she'd kept one for Thomas that had affected Liam. Sally replied that it had been a mistake.
"No, people make mistakes," Wyatt stated. After looking back on it, he'd decided that Sally's hadn't been so bad. Sally asked what he was saying. He needed her to know that he'd been wrong, and he regretted the way he'd ended things. Confused, she asked what had happened to the reunited high school sweethearts. "That's not happening," he replied.
"So, this is what? You crawling back to me?" Sally asked. Wyatt responded that he'd wanted her to know that through madness, he hadn't thought of anything more important than seeing her.
In the CEO's office, Brooke tried to get Ridge to understand that Thomas had known about Beth all that time. She asked why Flo, Shauna, and Zoe would lie about it. "All they do is lie!" Ridge rasped, and he decided that they'd talk to his son later. At the time, he was concerned about Steffy. Brooke assured him that they would be there for Steffy.
Flo wished she could do it over again. Angry, Ridge asked if she'd stop stealing other people's babies and selling them. Shauna claimed that her daughter hadn't done that. "You put a baby that didn't belong to you into my daughter's arms and made her raise it as her own! With all your explanations, that's wrong. You understand that, right?" Ridge demanded to know.
Ridge accused Flo of messing with Steffy and Hope's lives. Turning to Brooke, Ridge said he was trying to be happy for Brooke and Hope. He couldn't help wondering about Steffy and said it wasn't fair. Ridge and Brooke decided that they were going to see their kids.
Shauna asked where her, Zoe, and Flo's licenses were. Brooke had them. Shauna asked if Brooke and Ridge planned to keep them. Ridge informed her that he'd eventually give them to the police. He vowed that he'd make them pay, and he and Brooke left.
At Steffy's house, the disconcerted Steffy told Liam and Hope that the baby was Phoebe, not Beth. Hope understood that it was hard to take in, but it was true that Steffy had been raising Hope's daughter the entire time. Liam stated that they could do whatever genetic testing needed to be done, but the people involved had already admitted what had happened.
"Gambling debts. Zoe's dad owed money?" Steffy uttered. Hope and Liam explained that Reese had owed money and had decided that selling a baby was a fast way to make cash. It hadn't been Taylor's fault, but Reese had used her willingness to pay anything for an adoption to get what he'd needed. Liam stated that Reese had put another woman's dead child into Liam and Hope's arms, and he'd told them that it had been Beth.
Liam proclaimed that the truth was that Beth had been alive and thriving because she'd been there with Steffy and Kelly. Beth had been safe and cared for. Hope couldn't believe that the miracle had happened, and she planned to never let Beth go.
Liam and Hope talked about their instant connection to Beth. Hope recalled Beth crawling up to her and calling her by name at the wedding. She said Beth had been trying to find her way home, and Hope couldn't wait to take her home.
"No, you're not. That's Phoebe," Steffy said. Steffy stated that it was the little girl she'd adopted to be a little sister to Kelly, and Liam and Hope weren't taking Phoebe from the only home she'd ever known. Sobbing, Steffy said they couldn't just take Phoebe away, because her life was there with her sister and mom. "I'm her mommy," Steffy sobbed.
Steffy said that they could figure it out, but they had to do it reasonably. Hope explained that her child had been stolen from her. "You propose stealing mine?" Steffy asked. Liam asked if they could take a breath, but refusing, Steffy determined that Phoebe would stay there.
Though Hope appreciated Steffy and all the care Steffy had given Beth, Hope insisted that Beth needed to go with Hope. Barely able to speak through her sobs, Steffy asked, "What about making her a family and putting the children first? That's what we're doing, right? Or are you gonna just yank Phoebe away from me? It's wrong!"
Appalled, Hope asserted that what was wrong was Beth being apart from her mother for months. Steffy implored Hope to think about Phoebe. "Beth! Her name is Beth," Hope corrected. Hope's voice heightened with each word as she stated that she was thinking of Beth and had to make up for all the lost time. Hope wasn't trying to erase Steffy and said Steffy could be as involved as she wanted to be and could help with the transition.
"Transition? Transition!? I haven't just been her babysitter. I am her mom!" Hope asserted that Steffy hadn't been just a sitter, and Hope hadn't been Steffy's surrogate. Hope asked where it left them. Steffy didn't know. Sobbing, she said she loved "her," and Kelly did, too. Liam reminded her that Kelly and Beth would always be sisters.
Steffy insisted that Phoebe needed to be raised in that home. "Beth. Her name is Beth," Hope repeated. Steffy realized that Hope was "going through hell," but she said Hope had to understand what she was asking of Steffy. "I'm not asking," Hope responded.
Looking to Liam, Steffy said they'd been like a family. "And now you're just walking away?" she asked. Liam stood silent. "Say something! For once, say something!" Steffy demanded. She wanted him to tell Hope that Hope was wrong and not to take Steffy's baby.
Liam replied that he and Hope were Beth's parents. He didn't want to do "this" to Steffy. He felt that if anyone could be sensitive to what it was like to lose a baby, it would be him and Hope. He stated that they wouldn't do that or let that happen. He said they could work it out and find a solution. Interrupting him, Hope said they could, but it was time for the baby to be Beth again.
Brooke and Ridge entered the house and went to their respective daughters. Ridge held the sobbing Steffy, and Brooke embraced Hope and Beth, happy that Hope had her daughter back. Ridge asked if Steffy was okay. Steffy asserted that she wasn't and that there was no way Hope would take Steffy's daughter home.
Ridge and Brooke explained that they'd just been with Flo, Shauna, and Zoe, who'd revealed what had gone on. Brooke was happy that Hope had her daughter and family with Liam. Brooke was sure Hope was excited to take the baby home. Steffy stated that it wasn't happening.
Brooke asked what that meant. Steffy said they couldn't take away the baby she'd adopted. Brooke noted that nothing about the adoption had been legal. Steffy asked if anyone thought Phoebe knew that. In Steffy's view, all Phoebe knew was her mother, her sister, and the house.
Brooke reasoned that as Liam's daughter, Beth would continue to know the house and Steffy. Ridge asked Brooke to give Steffy a moment. Brooke reminded her husband that a baby had been stolen and needed to be given back. "We need to think about what's best for -- " Steffy cut herself off, as if not knowing what to call the child. She then continued, "It can't be ripping her away from the only family she knows!" Steffy exclaimed.
Brooke asked what Steffy suggested. Steffy looked at the baby and said that she was Beth, the child Hope had given birth to. Steffy told them that her mind was still catching up to events. She asked if they could just listen to her. "You can be kind of a mother to her. You could keep her here without uprooting her family," Steffy suggested.
"Oh, my God, Steffy! You can't be serious!" Brooke replied. Ridge said that all Steffy was trying to convey was that it had been a blow to them all, and the baby was healthy and thriving there.
Hope stated that she was extremely grateful for what Steffy had done, but it was time for Beth to go home. Hope affirmed that she'd been given a second chance with her child, the one she'd been told had been dead.
"After months of grief and sadness, and you think I'm walking out of here without her?" Hope asked. Hope stated that Beth was where she belonged and where she should have been since the day she'd been born. Hope was thankful for the care Steffy had given Beth, but Beth was finally in Hope's arms. Hope refused to let her go. "I'm taking my daughter, and don't you dare try to stop me," Hope warned.
