In the CEO's office, Steffy gushed to Hope about how things were the way they were meant to be. Steffy said she had Finn, and Hope was in love with Liam. Hope half-smiled, eyeing a picture of Thomas. Steffy expressed high hopes for Hope and Thomas' partnership but asked Hope to let her know if Thomas got out of line. Steffy said their moms were supporting each other, and Steffy hoped that she and Hope could support each other, too.
Hope appreciated it but said Thomas had been professional. She said she'd tried to reassure Liam of it and wondered if Liam should hear it from someone who worked there. She noted that Steffy had talked to Liam before but asked if Steffy could speak to him again. Steffy said she'd try again. She felt that it was the least she could do, but she insisted that Hope let her know if Thomas got out of line.
In the design office, Liam clarified that he wasn't there to get reassurances from Thomas about Liam's marriage. Hoping he might be able to change Liam's view of him in time, Thomas said everyone knew that Hope was committed to Liam and their marriage. Liam asked if Thomas understood that nothing would change that, not even Thomas. Liam said Thomas was a valuable team member, and there was no hidden message in Hope's talk of teamwork.
Thomas said he and Hope had agreed to be professional. Liam noted that Thomas had the boundary issues, not Hope. Owning it, Thomas said it wasn't that way anymore. Liam wished he could take Thomas' word for it. Thomas didn't expect Liam to, but he did ask Liam to trust him.
Outside the door, Hope approached in time to hear Liam tell Thomas that Hope was not attracted to Thomas. Liam said that she was "impregnably faithful" to him and loved him with all of her heart.
Thomas saw Hope in the doorway and said her name. She entered, hoping that Liam and Thomas were getting along. Thomas told her that Liam was concerned about Thomas, but Thomas said he was fully respectful of their marriage and commitment to each other.
Liam asked Hope if she wanted to grab dinner, but she claimed that she and Thomas still had work to do. Liam and Hope shared a long kiss, and Liam left.
Alone with Hope, Thomas vowed not to cause issues for her or her marriage ever again. He apologized for the pain he'd caused Hope after she'd transformed his and Douglas' lives in the wake of Caroline's death. According to Thomas, Hope had shown him and his son love and compassion. He was grateful to Hope and didn't want to disrupt her life. "But my feelings for you, they were valid," he stated. He figured anyone would fall in love with her because she was amazing.
Hope told Thomas that she wasn't perfect, but Thomas said Douglas thought so. Thomas spoke of Douglas' love for Hope and said that, even when he wasn't living with Hope, Douglas knew he could count on her. Thomas thanked Hope. He wanted to show her "all the gratitude in the world" but also didn't want to freak her out. Hope said he wasn't freaking her out.
Hope claimed that she felt lucky to be in Douglas' life. She said Caroline and Thomas had created a special child -- even if Douglas' father was a bad boy once in a while. Thomas replied that it was a good thing that Hope was the good girl.
Hope said it wasn't as easy as it looked, and for most of her life, she'd tried to be someone different from her mom, who'd jumped from one man to the next, thriving on attention and desire. Hope admitted that she'd judged her mother for it, but her mother had just been following her heart. Hope wondered if she'd been wrong. Thomas asked what Hope was saying.
Hope shrugged, claiming she was still trying to figure her life out. Thomas replied that one thing was for sure: he had his work and Douglas. She was always there for Douglas, and she was their "Hope for the future." Hope thanked him, saying she'd needed to hear it. Thomas said he might be the bad boy, but she'd always be the good girl. He told her that she was like an angel. Hope glanced around as if the words pained her.
Back in the CEO's office, Liam knocked on the door, and Steffy decided she needed to speak to him. He asked if it was about Kelly clocking another boy. Steffy replied that Hope had expressed worry about Liam's concerns about Thomas. Liam hoped his wife shared those concerns. Steffy said she and Hope did not, and Liam took that to mean that Hope and Steffy were both eager to plead Thomas' case.
Steffy said Hope had just asked if Steffy could help Liam understand. Steffy wanted to be completely transparent with Liam and Hope, and Steffy felt like Hope wanted Steffy to defend her brother. Liam asked if Steffy had a problem doing that. Steffy didn't and said she believed her brother was on the straight and narrow, in therapy, and concentrating on work.
Liam contended that Thomas' work consisted of Hope's line. Steffy insisted that Thomas' feelings for Hope were in the past and wouldn't interfere with Liam's marriage.
At Il Giardino, Brooke told Hollis that he was sexy and a good kisser, but she wasn't ready to date yet. "Yet," he repeated, and she chuckled, flattered by his relentlessness. Brooke decided that their "delivery days" were over, but he contended that dinner at her house hadn't been as romantic as it should have been. Brooke disagreed, saying it had been lovely. "My gosh, that kiss..." she uttered. Brooke admitted she had enjoyed it but wasn't ready to jump into something. Hollis nodded and quickly left the table. Brooke swooned, thinking of their kiss.
Taylor, who'd been watching from a distance, returned to the table, asking if there would be another dinner with Hollis -- or if Brooke had chased him away. Brooke became pensive. She said she couldn't date at that time. Taylor assumed Brooke wanted to focus on her family. "And this isn't about Ridge?" Taylor asked.
Brooke replied that it was nothing like that. Taylor wondered what Brooke was thinking about it. Brooke said she didn't want to get too heavy over a nice meal. She figured that she might be reading too much into it. Taylor offered to help Brooke work it out. Brooke revealed that it was about Hope, who wanted to be the complete opposite of her mother.
Taylor questioned whether Hope had said that, but Brooke insisted that it had been Hope's exact words. Brooke added that they hadn't had issues about Brooke's past for a long time. Taylor was surprised Hope had brought up Brooke's past. Brooke said she regretted the pain that her decisions had caused her family; however, she owned her decisions, and they no longer mattered. Brooke refused to beat herself up for following her heart.
Taylor asked if Hope and Liam were having problems. Brooke replied that she was concerned that they might be. Taylor believed the couple, who was in love and committed, would work it out. Brooke said she admired Hope's morals, priorities, and principles, but Brooke had become concerned. Brooke flashed back to asking Hope if she had feelings for Thomas.
Taylor questioned whether Brooke thought Hope's marriage was in trouble. Brooke alluded to it being under a lot of pressure, and Taylor assumed it was due to Hope working with Thomas. Taylor wished they could convince Liam of Thomas' change.
In the CEO's office, Ridge anxiously waited as Steffy bashfully grinned and blew out the candles on the birthday cake he'd gotten her. She suggested they put the cake in the kitchen or that she take it home because she wanted to get home in time for her date with Finn. Ridge said he had just one more thing for Steffy: a birthday card.
Ridge pressed a button on a laptop. On the wall television, a photo montage set to music played. In it were photos of Steffy as a child, Steffy with her family, and even a photo of her and Stephanie dressed alike. Steffy declared that it was great, but she was late.
Ridge wished they could spend father-daughter time together, maybe go for sushi and a walk on the beach. Steffy apologetically said he knew she had plans that night. Ridge nodded. Steffy cooed that she loved him, but she had to go. "Happy birthday," he uttered once he was alone.
Later, Taylor arrived, excited to know how things had gone with Steffy. Ridge replied that they'd gone well, but Steffy had gone to spend her birthday with Finn. Taylor reminded Ridge that Finn was Steffy's husband. Taylor said they should be grateful Steffy had Finn, the total opposite of the way it had been with Liam, who'd been a fool to let Steffy go, in Taylor's view. Ridge replied that if Steffy were to spend her birthday with anyone but him, it should be Finn.
Ridge and Taylor sat down to eat cake together. Taylor remarked that Steffy had lived two different lives with two amazing and different men. Pointing to himself, he said Taylor kept overlooking the most amazing man of all in Steffy's life. He asked how Taylor and Steffy's breakfast had been. Taylor called it "wonder-fun." She said she loved being there for celebrations.
Taylor couldn't believe their daughter was married with two kids and ran a multi-million-dollar fashion house. Ridge corrected that Steffy co-ran it. Ridge loved the person Steffy had become and wondered if they should take credit for it. Taylor believed Steffy had found all the joy in the world with Finn, and Taylor figured Steffy was where she belonged, in his arms, on her birthday.
Ridge said, "She just left." Taylor thought he was referring to the present, but he was talking about when Steffy had walked into the kindergarten room and never looked back while other kids had been crying. Taylor said Steffy had run before she could walk. Ridge called Steffy their beautiful, independent daughter, and a montage of scenes of Steffy in the midst of the fashion world, modeling and hosting, played on the screen to the "Bold Live" intro music.
At the cliff house, Steffy smiled as she gazed at homemade birthday cards from the kids. Liam arrived to wish her a happy birthday. He'd also brought "Mr. Qucksworth," the rubber duck Kelly had been searching for. He admitted that he'd also come because he'd been thinking about Steffy all day, going down memory lane and thinking of what they'd been through. He stated that they'd been fortunate. "Cha, Cha, Cha," she replied with a grin.
Later, Steffy and Liam were laughing and thinking about old times. He remarked that, for a big chunk of their lives, they'd been everything to each other. Steffy wistfully agreed, uttering, "The hell we shared." Liam and Steffy said that, at the time, they'd thought it would last forever. She stated that they had their memories. A montage of Liam and Steffy's memories played to the song "The Song That Never Played."
Liam told Steffy that their love had changed, but it would never go away. He wished her a happy birthday and said he loved her. The two hugged.
Later, Steffy exited the bedroom in a sexy dress and found the living room decked out in candles and flowers. "Finn?" she called, and he approached her with wine in hand. He said the kids, who'd wished her a happy birthday already, were already "out" for the evening. "Now it's my turn," he uttered, and they kissed. Steffy said he hadn't had to do all of that.
Finn replied that Steffy had said she'd wanted a quiet dinner at home, and as her husband, he'd learned to take orders. Finn had gotten all of her favorites, and she cooed that they were really celebrating. He remarked that they had a lot to celebrate, and he couldn't express how grateful he was that she'd shown up and changed his life. Committed to work, he'd had no idea what he'd been missing. He said she'd taught him balance and fulfillment, and he couldn't imagine his life any other way. They expressed love for each other and kissed.
Steffy asserted that she and Finn were lucky. They'd danced with the devil and escaped death. Therefore, her birthday meant much more to her. She said he'd saved her when they'd met, giving her a second chance at life, love, and family. She felt as if she couldn't be happier.
Finn said he'd gotten Steffy a gift, but she replied that she was looking right at her gift. Steffy told him that he was an amazing father and husband, and she was happy that he was there, especially after the night she'd never forget.
Steffy flashed back to Finn bleeding out in the alley, and Finn recalled escaping from Sheila to find Steffy in Monaco. A flashback played of Steffy and Finn's reunion outside the church.
"About the present," Finn said with excitement in his eyes. Talking about hearing the bells of the church, Steffy stopped and said to forget the present. Finn insisted, handing her a small box that contained a remote. She pressed a button on it, and bells rang out from the tower at the house. Finn was saying he'd had an Italian craftsman come out, but he was interrupted by Steffy's kiss.
A song with the lyrics "Every moment with you is a reverie " played. As Finn and Steffy danced together in the living room, fireworks exploded near the house, signifying The Bold and the Beautiful's 9,000th episode.
In the CEO's office, Carter thought of Katie. Taylor arrived, and he assumed she was looking for one of her children. She said she was there because Bill wanted to speak to her. "Spencer? Here?" Carter asked. Taylor assumed it was about Sheila. Taylor decided to check for Bill in the design office. Stating that Katie was in there, Carter offered to walk Taylor over. Taylor replied that it was just over there, and she had it.
In the design office, Katie couldn't concentrate on work. She flashed back to the moment she'd had with Bill at Eric's house. Just then, Bill arrived. He asked how she got more beautiful by the day. Figuring that she was getting his calls and text messages, Bill said he wanted to see Katie. He quipped that he'd even had the house fumigated. He asked Katie to join him for dinner.
Katie and Bill's talk was interrupted when Taylor entered the office. Taylor asked Bill what was going on, and Bill suggested that he and Taylor take a little trip -- to prison. Bill figured that Taylor hadn't had the opportunity to tell Sheila exactly what Taylor thought of her, and Bill believed Taylor would feel better if she did it.
Katie agreed that Taylor should confront Sheila after all Sheila had put their family through. Bill was sorry that he'd had to make Taylor think she'd been blackmailed. Taylor replied that she never should have done what she'd done to him, and her actions haunted her. She said she'd wanted to turn herself in.
Bill replied that she didn't have to be tormented any longer because he'd made a deal with the Feds. He claimed he'd put it out of his mind, and he wanted Taylor to do the same. Taylor thanked him, and they hugged. Taylor decided that she did have things to say to Sheila, and Taylor left, saying she'd meet Bill outside.
Alone with Katie, Bill said he'd be back, and he wouldn't quit until he convinced Katie to have dinner with him. He vowed to work even harder for his family and his Katie than he had on Sheila's case.
Later, Katie was alone when Carter arrived, letting her know he'd given her a budget increase. She guessed it was good that she'd been putting in time with the COO. The two kissed. Carter mentioned that Taylor had been looking for Bill. Katie replied that Taylor had found him. Carter assumed Bill had been with Katie and said it was no secret that Bill wanted Katie back.
Katie asked if it bothered Carter. Carter claimed that it made sense that Bill would want his life back. "Any man would," Carter uttered, and he and Katie kissed again.
The topic turned to Taylor and Bill going to the prison so that Taylor could confront Sheila about what Sheila had done to Taylor's family. Katie quipped that Sheila was a "captive" audience. Carter gave Bill credit for pulling it off with Sheila. Katie stated that Sheila had thought she'd be the next Mrs. Bill Spencer. Carter remarked that Bill's ruthless streak had been handy, and they owed Bill a debt of gratitude. Carter wondered if it had changed the way Katie saw Bill.
In a prison cell, Sheila paced and glared anxiously through the bars. She recalled the moment Bill and Ridge had caught up to her, and Deacon had said he was sorry. Sheila flashed back to the date Deacon had created for her at the restaurant, and she smiled.
A prison guard arrived to cuff Sheila and take her to see a visitor. The guard took Sheila to the visitation room, but when she saw Bill and Taylor stride in, Sheila requested to be taken back to her cell. She said she didn't want to see them, but Bill told her that she had no choice. The guard left, and Sheila chuckled at the ironic pair before her, the victim and his shooter.
Sheila wondered if Bill was there to check on the heart attack victim, but she said she was better. She said she felt like a fool for believing that Bill could be kind, loving, and compassionate. She'd thought Bill had loved her, and for the first time in her life, she'd felt seen and respected. She asserted that she'd trusted him, but it had been a setup. Sheila stated that she'd never claimed to be a saint, but what Bill had done had been deplorable. She figured that Taylor, the psychiatrist, had to see that.
Taylor said that, as a psychiatrist, she believed in integrity at all costs. She claimed that "one of my greatest gifts" was finding the innate goodness in someone and shining a light on it so that they saw it, too. Taylor stated her belief that everyone had that quality, "and then there's you."
Taylor called Sheila deplorable for gunning down Steffy and for shooting her own son. Sheila said it had been an accident, and Taylor yelled that Sheila had been aiming for Steffy and had almost taken both of Hayes's parents. Taylor said Sheila claimed to love Hayes, but Sheila really only loved herself and anyone who could help her or be there for her. "That is who you love until you don't," Taylor said.
Taylor told Sheila that Sheila loved to terrify people because it made her feel alive. Taylor claimed that deep down, Sheila knew that she was irrelevant, and thanks to Bill and Ridge, Sheila would be locked away for life. Taylor declared that from that day forward, Sheila's name would never be mentioned, and Hayes would never know Sheila walked the earth. Taylor stated that the name Sheila Carter would mean nothing to Taylor's family, and Sheila would be erased from their lives forever.
At Il Giardino, Hope arrived to visit her father because she believed it was time to have a long overdue talk about Sheila Carter. Hope told Deacon that she knew what he'd done to Sheila. Deacon began to stammer. Hope said she knew that Deacon had helped Bill and Ridge send Sheila back to prison. Two waiters nearby exchanged titillated glances as they listened in. Hope told Deacon that the "nine-toed freak" was finally behind bars, thanks to Ridge, Deacon, and Bill.
Hope figured that it couldn't have been easy for Deacon to pretend to befriend Sheila after the horrible things she'd done to their loved ones. Hope wished she could have been there when Sheila had finally realized that no one had been on her side. Deacon said it was kind of sad.
The waiter and busboy brought out cappuccinos for Deacon and Hope. Deacon remarked that it had been sad to see, human to human, a person's life shatter in front of him. Hope called her father a softy and wondered if Sheila had thought she could trust him. Hope was relieved that they didn't have to worry about the insane Sheila Carter. Deacon replied that there was no doubt that there was no one like Sheila Carter.
At Il Giardino, Hope expressed how much she loved her father and how proud she was of him. She said she saw Deacon as a hero. The emotional Deacon hugged Hope. He was happy that she thought he'd been heroic, but he said he'd just gotten pulled into Bill and Ridge's plan. Hope insisted that, even if he downplayed it, he had a lot to be proud of. He sighed, and she asked if he was proud of himself.
Deacon tried to send Hope off with dessert, but she assumed he was trying to get rid of her. He brought up her working with Thomas, but she said Zende was also an important part of the team. Deacon reasoned that Zende hadn't been obsessed with her. Deacon attempted to threaten something regarding Thomas, but Hope insisted that Thomas wouldn't cross the line.
Deacon asked how Liam felt, and Hope said Liam would be fine. Deacon interpreted that to mean Liam wasn't okay with it. Hope urged her father to let her handle it, and she thanked him again for helping to rid them of Sheila once and for all.
Later, Deacon was at the bar, trying to work, but he was consumed with thoughts of turning in Sheila. Frustrated, he strode out of the restaurant.
At the prison, Sheila wondered if Bill and Taylor were finished or had something else to blame Sheila for. Taylor quipped that Sheila was finished and would be locked up forever. Sheila told Bill that it was because of him, and with a sneer, Bill shrugged. Sheila said she regretted trusting him.
Bill said it still amazed him that Sheila had trusted him, and he'd sacrificed much for his family and the next generation. He asserted that she'd die in prison, alone and unloved, the two things she feared the most, and it was her inescapable fate. Sheila raged that Bill had forced it upon her.
Taylor told Sheila to accept responsibility. "Oh, like you did, Taylor?" Sheila asked, remarking that Taylor should be in a prison cell beside Sheila for shooting Bill. "Oh, no, Bill, she's threatening me," Taylor replied helplessly. Sheila replied that she was locked up but could still cause trouble. Bill informed Sheila that he'd struck a deal with the Feds, and Taylor never had to worry about that night again. Taylor called it the best news and said the Logans, Forresters, and Spencers never had to worry about Sheila terrorizing them again.
Bill called for a guard. As he and Taylor left, he told Sheila that she'd die there. "And absolutely no one is going to care," he concluded. Once alone, Sheila jerked her chains against the table.
Later, Sheila was still in the visitors' area, and the guard said she had another visitor. Having had enough for the day, Sheila told the guard to send the person away. The guard said she didn't get to bark orders at him. Sheila looked up and saw Deacon enter the visitation room.
Quietly, Deacon sat down. "I'm sorry," he uttered, repeating, "I'm so sorry." He asked how Sheila was doing. He admitted he'd been worried after her heart attack. She replied that she was better physically. The guard standing behind the gates a few feet behind Sheila received a phone call.
Deacon told Sheila that Ridge and Bill hadn't given Deacon a choice. Deacon said he would have gone back to prison. "You gotta know; I didn't want this," he insisted. Deacon said he'd known it had been nuts to get involved with her, but he hadn't been able to help himself because every time he'd tried to get away, something had drawn him back in.
Sheila asked if Deacon knew what it was. Deacon indicated that he did know, and he believed she did, too. He said it hadn't changed, and he asked her to say she didn't hate him.
In the design office, Carter wondered if Bill's heroism had changed the way Katie looked at Bill. Katie said that what Bill had done had been tremendous. "And?" Carter asked. She said she'd always known that there was goodness inside of Bill, and Bill had proven it. She'd seen it within him years back, and it reminded her that Bill could be maddening and marvelous at the same time.
"But that does not mean..." Katie said. Carter explained that he wasn't trying to take away any of Bill's thunder for what he'd done, but Carter didn't want to see Bill hurt Katie again. Carter hated the way Bill had treated Katie and the way Bill had called Brooke the love of Bill's life. Carter insisted that Katie was better than that, and Bill had disrespected her again and again.
"Even if it's not me," Carter added. Katie asked who'd said it wouldn't be Carter. She revealed that she'd always admired him, and after getting to know him, she trusted that he heard her and saw her. She refused to take it for granted. Grateful that she'd shared herself with him, Carter urged her not to forget that she'd left Bill for a reason.
Behind them, Bill was in the doorway. He'd arrived just in time to see Katie stroking Carter's face. "Sorry to interrupt," Bill said. Katie and Carter turned to Bill. She asked how it had gone with Sheila, and Bill said Sheila was utterly isolated for the rest of her life. Bill explained that it had been cathartic for Taylor to confront Sheila. Carter and Katie were glad.
Bill revealed that he hadn't returned to talk about Sheila. He wanted to speak to Katie alone -- if it was okay with Carter. Katie, however, said Bill could say anything to her in front of Carter.
"As you wish," Bill replied. Bill told Katie that she was important to him. He missed her and what they'd meant to each other. He insisted his life wasn't a life without her, and he needed her more than ever. All the time he'd spent with Sheila, doing what he'd had to do to protect Katie and everyone, had only reinforced to him how much he loved Katie and how it would kill him to lose her.
Bill acknowledged and respected the time Katie had spent with Carter. Bill said Carter was a good and decent man, but that didn't mean Bill would give up. Bill said he and Katie shared a son and a family, and they could have it again if Bill gave her one more chance. He believed he'd proven that he'd go to any lengths necessary to get what he wanted. Bill professed love for Katie and said he believed that, in her soul, she still loved him. He asked her to say he was wrong and to say that she was still his Katie.
At the cabin on Brooke's estate, Brooke returned Douglas' binder to Hope. Hope sensed that Brooke had something on her mind. After a moment or two, Hope correctly deduced that her mother wanted to talk about R.J. Hope asked why R.J. wanted to travel around the world rather than live in Los Angeles. "I want to thank you for being the one child that stayed," Brooke said with a grin. "Does that make me the favorite?" Hope mused.
In the executive suite at Forrester Creations, Ridge was intently focused on a sketch when Charlie burst into the office and declared, "Nothing but nothing is better than seeing Ridge Forrester at his drafting table." Charlie compared the scene to watching "Michelangelo in front of a blank Sistine Chapel ceiling."
Eventually, Charlie got to the reason for his intrusion. "Some whackazoid is pretending to be Ridge Forrester," the head of security explained. Charlie insisted that he would go to the front desk and take care of things, since he'd seen for himself that Ridge couldn't possibly be in two places at once. As Charlie left, Ridge asked aloud why he was paying Charlie.
Moments later, Charlie once again popped his head into the office. Charlie said that there was someone that Ridge needed to meet. Annoyed, Ridge said that he was "in the groove" and did not want to be interrupted. Charlie apologized and left. Only a second or two later, a loud knock sounded on the office door. As Ridge turned toward the door to scold Charlie, the door popped open, and Ridge's son R.J. poked his head through the slightly open door.
Ridge called out to his son and raced to embrace him. Ridge was surprised that Brooke had not alerted him that R.J. would be returning home. R.J. smiled and said that no one had known that he would be returning home. Ridge was excited that R.J. was traveling the world and experiencing that journey while he was still young. R.J. presented Ridge with a gift -- licorice from Denmark.
Ridge briefed R.J. on everything that had gone down with Sheila. R.J. was impressed and teased that his dad could become an undercover cop if "the whole fashion gig" didn't work out. Ridge turned the conversation to how much Brooke missed R.J. R.J. noted that he video called his parents regularly. The sound of Charlie and Brooke's voices could be heard from outside the office. R.J. quickly hid behind a screen.
Brooke entered the office and told Ridge that Charlie had mentioned there was some sort of surprise awaiting her. Ridge pointed to the screen and said that he had something he wanted to show her "back there." Brooke chuckled and asked if it was one of his "creations." Ridge countered that it was actually something that they had created together. R.J. stepped out from behind the screen, and Brooke let out an excited gasp.
Almost immediately, Brooke asked if her son was going to stick around Los Angeles. R.J. admitted that it was a possibility, but he explained that he had some offers to travel, due to his status as an "influencer." R.J. shared that he did want to spend time with his family and thought staying in L.A. for a while was a good idea. Brooke and Ridge were clearly overjoyed.
In the design studio at Forrester, Bill pressed Katie to tell him that she was still in love with him. Katie accused Bill of putting her on the spot. She told Bill that she cared about him because he was the father of her son. Bill quickly replied that he wanted his family back together.
Carter, who had been standing quietly by, broke his silence by acknowledging that Katie would always love Bill. "But it doesn't have the same meaning for her as it does for you," he said coldly. Carter noted that he and Katie were a couple. Bill interjected that had it not been for his shoddy treatment of Katie, Katie and Carter would never gotten together in the first place.
Bill asked Katie to have dinner with him. Katie seemed unsure about how to answer. She didn't rule out the idea, but worried that having dinner with Bill would give him "false hope." Katie then said that she and Carter had "a really good thing going on," noting that she did not want to disrespect that relationship by having dinner with another man.
"Oh, c'mon now. Carter's not afraid of a little friendly competition from little old me," Bill said with a smile. Carter stated that Katie was free to spend time and have meals with anyone that she wanted. Bill warned that Katie would come back to him once he was able to prove to Katie that she was the only woman in the world for him. Carter flashed a look of concern at Katie.
Seated at a table in a visiting room at the Los Angeles County Jail, Deacon told Sheila that he was sorry for what had to have seemed like a betrayal. "You stabbed me in the back, Deacon," Sheila replied quietly. Deacon claimed that he had been cornered and had no other way out. Surprisingly, Sheila told Deacon that after all he had done for her, she could never hate him. Deacon was relieved. "I know how much you risked," Sheila said as she leaned closer to Deacon.
Sheila recalled the happy memories that she and the "incredibly, incredibly sexy Mr. Sharpe" had made together. Deacon said that he wasn't sure what was next for him, since he had been granted clemency. Sheila remarked that Deacon got to roam free while she was stuck in prison. Still, Sheila insisted that she was happy for Deacon.
"You're happy for me? My God, Sheila. I put you in here," Deacon said shaking his head. "The smartest thing you've probably ever done in your life," Sheila replied. Sheila pointed out that Deacon had his whole future ahead of him, and she did not want him waiting for her.
