Quinn catches Sheila prancing about
At Spencer, Bill grinned at his model skyscraper. Justin arrived. Justin had spoken to their "helper," and things were moving along. It looked to Justin like Bill would have his building. Bill replied that he always got what he wanted -- one way or another.
Bill figured "this" would be good for Sally. He understood her, and people like her thrived in hard times. Bill imagined the comeback story would be that Spectra "rebuilds" in the face of adversity, far away from downtown.
Bill didn't want Sally to fail forever, just for the time being. Bill asked if Justin had made sure no one was in the building. Justin said that he'd been careful, and no one was in the building. He said no one would get hurt, and the only thing dying that night was a dream. "And a handful of tacky dresses," Bill added.
Justin checked his phone and said the fire trucks were on their way. Bill said he'd figured there would be more time for nature to take its course. Justin believed it would be too late by the time the firefighters arrived. Bill thought it was fitting that, instead of bankruptcy, Spectra went out in a blaze of glory.
At Spectra, flames engulfed Sally's office. The Spectra crew rode up the elevator to return to work after dinner. They smelled smoke, and when the elevator doors opened, they were horrified to see Sally's office on fire.
Sally touched her doorknob and shrank back from the heat. As Shirley, Saul, and Darlita yelled at Sally not to do it, Sally grabbed rags to open the door with. They held her back as she tried to go into the burning office.
On her phone, Shirley called for help and found out that trucks were already on the way. The operator wanted them all to get out of the building, but Sally refused to leave her collection. She asked for a fire extinguisher because she just had to get a "rack" out of there.
Firefighters burst onto the scene from the stairwell and began dragging Shirley, Saul, and Darlita out. Shirley screamed, refusing to leave her granddaughter, but the firefighters kept pulling her out. Sally began sobbing when the firefighters pulled her and urged her to go.
Outside later, the soot-covered Spectra crew watched somberly as their building burned. Shirley held out hope that the firefighters would save Spectra. The group wondered how it had spread so quickly, and Shirley told Sally to get her cough taken care of.
A firefighter approached and instructed the Spectra crew to move further away from the building and get behind the caution tape. He warned that the building could collapse on itself. Sally coughed and implored the firefighter to save Spectra.
At the mansion, Eric noticed that Quinn hadn't touched her martini. Quinn wasn't in the mood. She wanted to check on how James was doing with Sheila's examination. Eric said they shouldn't forget why Sheila was there. Quinn had realized that she shouldn't have let things get out of hand, but to her, the concussion was a bit too much. Because of her part in it, Quinn wanted to rehabilitate Sheila, but Quinn was beginning to think it was all a big lie.
Upstairs, James asked how long Sheila would drag it out. He guessed she'd fake it for the rest of her life if she intended to became Eric's wife. Citing that Quinn had knocked her out cold, Sheila asked why he thought she was faking. James said the hit hadn't been enough to make her bedridden for that length of time.
Admitting that she was exaggerating the case, Sheila said she wouldn't have to do it forever because Eric would see how horrible his wife was and would kick Quinn out. James said Eric could figure it out on his own without Sheila playing the part of an incapacitated houseguest. James wanted to tell Eric the truth. Sheila asked James to think long and hard about whether he really wanted to lose his practice over it.
James reasoned that they didn't have to admit to lying, but Sheila couldn't possibly still be woozy and wobbly after all that time. He said his reputation was at stake, but Sheila said he should have thought of that before he'd self-prescribed meds. James insisted that it had been a lapse in judgment, and it was over. She replied that it could stay over if he didn't make her tell.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Sheila hopped onto the bed. Eric and Quinn arrived. Quinn asked if there had been improvements. Sheila said not really. Indicating that she wasn't talking to Sheila, Quinn turned to James and said she was sure Sheila could be on her own by then. Sheila coughed and said she couldn't imagine returning to the hotel.
Quinn revealed that she'd looked into some short-term rentals for Sheila, and if Sheila couldn't afford it, Eric and Quinn could happily work out a loan arrangement. Sheila called it sweet but said it was premature because the rentals would be gone by the time Sheila recovered.
Quinn doubted they'd be gone by that evening. Sheila asked what Quinn was talking about. Quinn looked at James and said Sheila had recovered from the concussion and had no reason to stay longer.
James sat at Sheila's bedside, and near the door, Eric asked Quinn to trust what James would say. Eric knew how Quinn felt, but he felt bad about the things had that happened to Sheila after she'd arrived in the city. Quinn quipped that Sheila had gotten what she'd deserved.
Eric and Quinn went back to the bed and asked James what his opinion was. James said Sheila was improving, but he asked if they wanted to take the risk. James reasoned that if Sheila relapsed, she'd have to go to the hospital, and the press would get wind of it. He felt that if they let Sheila stay a little longer, it could make all the difference.
Eric said they had to trust James's opinion. Sheila offered to go if someone agreed to call her each morning to wake her up. "Oh, please!" Quinn quipped. Sheila was grateful that Eric had let her stay there, and she said it was because of him that she was "getting so much better." To her, his willingness to put her needs first showed what kind of man he was.
Quinn retorted that putting on an act and taking advantage of Eric's kindness showed what kind of person Sheila was. Eric said there was no harm in letting Sheila stay longer, but there was potential harm in her leaving. Eric decided that it was the right thing for Sheila to stay.
Eric and Quinn left, and Sheila told James not to look so guilty because he'd done the right thing. James questioned whether lying to Eric was the right thing. Sheila insisted that it was for Eric's own good because his wife had cheated on him with his son. James guessed that Sheila thought she could change it by staying there.
Sheila said she couldn't change the past, but she could help in the future. She stated that Eric was too trusting. "Obviously," James quipped. Sheila asserted that Eric was too trusting of Quinn, and he needed Sheila's protection. Sheila knew that "that bitch" would betray Eric again, but thanks to James, Sheila would be there to take Quinn down.
Downstairs, Quinn didn't care what James thought. Eric asked why Sheila would fake it. Quinn guessed it was to torture her. Quinn felt suffocated and violated in her own home. Hugging her, Eric said to breathe and relax because it was temporary. "Not if Sheila has her way," Quinn replied. Eric said that moving Sheila too soon might return to bite them in the butt.
Eric asked for a few more days of patience, and he said he'd feel better because they'd done the right thing. He wanted Quinn to leave Sheila alone to recover without stirring the pot, and they could all move on. Eric and Quinn hugged.
Upstairs, Sheila was prancing and humming in her dimly lit room as she laid out a robe. Quinn stealthily opened the door and saw what Sheila was doing. Slamming the door behind her, Quinn stated that Sheila was up and about. Sheila asked what Quinn was doing, and Quinn replied that she was checking on the patient, of course.
Sheila claimed it was a good thing because she'd gotten woozy while trying to get up to go for water. "Do you mind?" Sheila asked. Quinn decided that Sheila could get her "damn water" -- from the vending machine at her hotel later that night. Quinn exclaimed that she'd known it, and Sheila was faking. Sheila claimed not to know what Quinn was talking about.
Quinn accused Sheila of dancing and humming around the room. She said that Sheila was fine and healthy, and Sheila would be out of there that night. Sheila persisted in her farce, saying she could stand, and it didn't change what Quinn had done to her. Laughing, Quinn said Sheila had only needed a Band-Aid for her boo-boo; however, Sheila had milked the situation.
Sheila remarked about Quinn cheating on Eric with her son. Quinn laughed, saying Eric had already forgiven her. She asked why Sheila would bring it up again. Quinn was ready for Eric to see Sheila for who she was.
Quinn strode to the door. Sheila bounced off the bed and slammed the door as Quinn was opening it. Sheila grabbed Quinn, but Quinn shook her off and opened the door again. Sheila threw something, and it shattered on the wall next to the door. Quinn said Eric had given her the item, which had been from Monaco. Sheila asked what Quinn would do about it. Quinn dove at Sheila and wound up facedown on the bed.
Sheila jumped on Quinn's back and repeatedly slammed her head into the mattress. Quinn knocked Sheila off and hit her with a pillow. Sheila grabbed a pillow, too. They swung the baggy weapons, and feathers floated everywhere. Quinn fell off the bed. Some glass shattered. As Quinn crawled through the feathers, Sheila flipped Quinn over and started choking her.
At the Forrester mansion, Quinn and Sheila battled it out physically after Quinn caught Sheila up and walking around after Sheila had told Eric she was unable leave the mansion because she was still not well.
Sheila sat on top of Quinn and choked her. Sheila stopped, and Quinn dared Sheila to kill her because then Eric would know Sheila was crazy. Sheila stopped but then started again until she realized she would be in trouble. Quinn pushed her. "You're insane. You almost killed me. I knew you were faking it -- pretending to be weak, and you're strong as an ox," Quinn said amid coughs. Sheila said "almost" was the operative word, but Quinn threatened that Sheila would be out of the house immediately.
Quinn ran downstairs to tell Eric what had happened. Sheila chased her. "She tried to kill me. She said she wanted me dead," Quinn told Eric. He couldn't believe the two of them had been fighting again. "I want that murderous witch out of here tonight," Quinn said.
"Eric, I'm so sorry," Sheila stammered. She tried to dispute Quinn's account of what had happened and said that Quinn had attacked her, and she had been defending herself. Quinn scoffed and told Eric that Sheila had been walking around upstairs after she'd told Eric how sick she was and how she couldn't leave. Sheila argued she'd been trying to push herself to get better. Quinn noted that if Sheila was breathing, she was lying.
Quinn insisted that Sheila had choked her. Eric asked Sheila what had happened, and Sheila tried to deflect everything onto Quinn, but Eric had had enough. "Sheila, I'm sorry, but I know you," he said. He told Sheila to wait outside, and he would have a car pick her up. He opened the front door for her, and Sheila stared at Quinn and the portrait on the wall. Outside, Sheila insisted aloud that one day, her portrait would be above the fireplace. Inside the house, Eric and Quinn embraced.
At Forrester, Liam waited for Steffy to finish a report, and he was distracted. Steffy asked what was wrong, and Liam said he couldn't support Bill's lie about Caroline dying. Pam entered. She said that there had been a fire at Spectra. Liam asked how bad it was, and Pam answered that the building was gone, and Sally was in the hospital. Liam jumped up and said he would check on Sally at the hospital. Steffy prepared to follow him.
At the hospital, Sally coughed and kept oxygen on. Shirley, Darlita, Coco, and Saul were at her bedside. A nurse told Sally how lucky she was. Sally was sick. "Our entire future went up in flames," she said. Sally lamented that the collection and the business were all gone in one night. Coco maintained that it could have been worse, and everyone had gotten out. Sally agreed, but she said that everything had been destroyed.
Liam and Steffy entered and offered their condolences about the building. They wanted to make sure that Sally was all right. Liam asked what had happened, and Sally said it was an electrical fire. They had worried something was wrong but had figured they would fix it after the show because they didn't have the money.
Liam and Steffy agreed that Spectra deserved to have their chance. C.J. entered and emotionally said he was glad everyone was all right after he had seen what was left of the building. He said he understood that it had had been faulty wiring. He apologized to everyone. Sally tried to calm everyone because she was confident that Thomas would return, and they would collect on the insurance money and try to rebuild.
C.J. looked away. Shirley asked what was wrong, and C.J. admitted that there was no insurance because he had let the insurance lapse because he had felt it was inevitable that Spectra would be sold to Bill Spencer. C.J. said he'd made a mistake.
C.J. hoped that Bill would buy the building, and maybe they would have some money left over. Liam looked thoughtful. He advised Sally not to give up on her dreams. Liam left.
After Coco, Shirley, C.J., Darlita, Saul, and C.J. had left, Sally admitted to Steffy that she would never be able to rebuild. Steffy said she was sorry for everything that Sally had to go through.
At Spencer Publications, Justin told Bill that Spectra was in ashes. Bill said he wondered why his opponents couldn't make his life easier by just agreeing to his demands, especially when he'd asked nicely. Justin joked that he didn't recall the nice part. Bill wanted to get started immediately on demolition and new construction, but Justin persuaded him to wait in light of what had happened. "Now is not the time to bring attention to Spencer Publications," Justin said. Bill agreed and hoped that C.J. Garrison would be begging him to buy it.
Later, Liam opened the door to Bill's office while Bill stared at his skyscraper model. Liam asked if Bill had heard the news about Spectra. Bill dismissed it and said it was a shame.
Liam said that it had struck him that a fire had broken out the night before a big showing. It was significant because the showing would have put Spectra on the map.
Bill showed no concern, but Liam reminded him that people could have been killed. Bill reminded Liam that no one had been hurt. Liam was angry. He remembered that while they'd been in Monte Carlo, Bill had been lying to Thomas about Caroline, all for the sake of his building. Liam said that lying wasn't a crime, but arson was.
"Be very careful now, son," Bill said. Liam answered that he loved his father even when Bill did things that were appalling to him. Bill agreed that he loved Liam, too.
"That fire wasn't an accident," Liam said. He accused Bill of sending henchmen to burn Spectra down. Bill glared at Liam.
At Forrester, Ridge met with Steffy, and she informed him there had been a fire at Spectra. She added that there was no insurance, and it was a nightmare for Sally. He sympathized that she had lost her collection, but he recalled that she had stolen their collection previously. Steffy felt sorry for Sally.
Ridge agreed he had compassion for her as well. It was clear that Bill had wanted the Spectra building, and he would get it. He would kick C.J. at a time he was down.
At the Forrester mansion, Eric offered Quinn water, and she said it was nice to have their house back. Eric reminded her that the physical altercations had been unnecessary. Quinn argued that Sheila was dangerous, and Quinn would never trust her.
Eric recalled that after Quinn and Sheila's first altercation, he had thought Sheila was dead. "She was laying on the floor, bleeding," he said. Quinn countered that Sheila had fully recovered and had been faking it so she could stay at the mansion. "She's gone, and that's all that matters. Let her spread her poison elsewhere," Quinn said.
Quinn offered Eric a martini, but he declined. Quinn wondered if he was worried about Sheila. Eric said he was worried about Quinn. He didn't want her to revert to her old ways. Quinn angrily said that Eric and James were under Sheila's spell.
Eric was offended and said there was no room for physical violence in the house. He wondered what would have happened if the police had been called. Quinn responded that Sheila -- with her long criminal record -- would have been in trouble.
Ridge walked in and wondered why Eric was yelling at Quinn for something Sheila had done. Eric said it was none of Ridge's business and asked Ridge to leave. Ridge acknowledged that he and Eric had differences, but Sheila was a threat and needed to stay away from Eric.
At her hotel room, Sheila wore Eric's robe with the initials EF, and she looked at her own portrait that she'd had commissioned. She recalled that Quinn had called her a bitch. She flashed back to fighting with Quinn and said she'd never accept Quinn being a part of Eric's life. "You need to be rescued," she said.
Later, the hotel manager visited, and Sheila worried that he wanted to throw her out. The manager said she had not paid her bill. She countered that he had not determined what had happened when shots had been fired in his "fleabag hotel." She threatened to call the corporate office and tell them about it. She warned him to stop pestering her unless he wanted a lot of trouble. She ordered him to get out, and he exited.
Sheila stared at her own portrait. She promised that she would find a way back into Eric's heart, and her portrait would be above the fireplace.
At Spencer, Liam asked Bill point-blank if he had ordered to have Spectra Fashions torched. Bill reminded Liam that Sally had stolen the Forrester collection before, but Liam defended her and said she had paid her dues and deserved respect.
Bill demanded respect from Liam for the life he had given him, the cars, the beach house, the expense account. Liam was grateful and said he admired his dad, but there were things he could not accept. Bill advised him to accept them and move on. Bill reminded him that he had worked "damned hard" to keep Spencer where it was. He called Sally "a thief, a hustler, and a two-bit knockoff artist." But Liam said her new line was excellent. He demanded that Bill look him in the eye and tell him what had happened at Spectra.
"You want it. You got it," he said. He admitted that he had "put Sally and that bottom-feeder company out of their misery, and I don't regret it for minute." Liam looked sick.
Liam and Bill argued, but Liam said he couldn't accept what Bill had done. It was criminal. He worried that Bill wanted to justify everything he did. He couldn't accept that it was the legacy Bill would leave his kids. Bill argued that he had given Liam a comfortable life ever since he had landed on Bill's doorstep.
Bill promised to give C.J. a fair price for the building, but he demanded that Liam keep his mouth shut. "You are a Spencer. Act like a Spencer," Bill said. He grabbed the sword around Liam's neck. "Live by the sword, and die by the sword," he said. He advised Liam to be true to his father "or get the hell out and never come back." Liam looked concerned.
At Spencer, Brooke grimaced as Bill yelled into his phone at an intern about what he thought should be a three-line article about Spectra, the company no one would miss. After the call, he kissed Brooke, and she said Spectra's fire was big news for the city. Bill quipped that an energy drink would be big news, and no one would miss Spectra. She replied that the Spectras would.
Allison called to see if she should send flowers to Sally like Jarrett wanted her to, and Bill roared that Jarrett could send his own flowers. Bill hung up on Alison. Flipping through a report, Brooke expressed surprise that the Spectra building had been uninsured. Bill believed that C.J. could have avoided it had he sold Bill the building. Brooke didn't know how Spectra could recover. "Well, maybe if Thomas had stayed," Brooke reasoned.
Bill didn't know what good Thomas could have been -- unless the Forresters were flame retardant. Brooke figured that Thomas could help the Spectras set up somewhere else and front them a few months' rent. Bill asked why she was interested in seeing the competition back in business. Brooke explained that losing everything wasn't a business crisis, but a human one.
Caroline arrived with Douglas. The surprised Brooke said it was good to see them. She asked if Thomas was with them, and Caroline affirmed it. Brooke decided to leave for work and suggested Caroline stop by the office to see Steffy.
After Brooke had gone, Caroline exclaimed that it was nice to have someone not treat her like she was dying. Bill wanted to know why Caroline had traveled there with Thomas. She asked if she was supposed to keep Thomas in at home when he was frantic over Sally's genuine predicament. Caroline believed Thomas deserved better from her.
Later, Caroline checked her phone, and irritated, she dropped it in her purse. Bill walked in, saying Douglas couldn't get enough of Alison. Caroline quipped that it was because Alison fed him ice cream until his stomach hurt. Bill asked Caroline not to be so wound up.
"I want my miracle cure today or tomorrow. Before I leave, I want it!" Caroline raged. Bill said it was too soon, but she demanded that he hire an actor to play doctor and declare her all better. Bill repeated that it was too soon, and Thomas was still running to Sally's rescue.
Caroline said she'd tell Thomas that she'd lied. Bill replied that Caroline would lose Thomas, and if Thomas was mad enough, she'd lose Douglas. Bill asked if she wanted Thomas and the batty redhead raising Douglas. Bill told Caroline to look at the bright side. Usually, people only had one shot at death, but Caroline got to rehearse. Caroline glared at him.
Bill asked if Thomas had any plans, and Caroline stated that if Thomas did, he hadn't shared them. Bill noted that Thomas had a habit of being a "pain in the ass" when one least expected it. Bill asked if Thomas was planning to move back. Caroline said Thomas hadn't said anything to her, but she didn't know what he was saying to Sally.
At Forrester, Steffy thanked Liam for driving her to work and said she'd see him at day's end. Liam didn't think he could go to work and asked to hang out at Forrester. He was disconcerted about Spectra's loss. Steffy knew Liam, and she suspected that he thought his father had had something to do with the fire. Liam said he was sure of it because Bill had admitted it.
Steffy was shocked to hear that Bill had been involved in arson. Liam said Bill had hired the best people, and it would look like an electrical fire unless someone revealed the truth. Steffy said it was criminal, and Liam agreed.
Maya, Rick, Ivy, and R.J. arrived, all curious for news about the fire. Rick had received three calls for comment, and Steffy said she'd have Katie draft a statement. Maya found it uncanny that the fire had happened the night before the showing. Rick said it had to be bad karma or bad luck. R.J. got a message from Coco that Sally might go home from the hospital that day.
Rick, Maya, and Steffy discussed whether it was appropriate to send Sally flowers for her loss. Ivy said it wasn't really a loss because the insurance would help them rebuild. Steffy explained that the building hadn't been insured, and Liam explained that C.J. hadn't renewed the insurance because he'd expected to sell the property.
Rick asked how the fire had started, and asked, "Should we be looking for someone to sue?" Stammering, Steffy and Liam explained that it had been an electrical fire, and a plug had caught fire at the preview. They looked guilty when Ivy said that had to be what had happened again.
The group discussed the predicament of the Spectra employees. Maya suggested hiring some of their models, and Steffy claimed to be okay with hiring their seamstresses for the overtime that Forrester seamstresses were working. Rick thought it was great because people wanted work, not handouts. R.J. told Rick to speak to himself.
Rick pretend wrestled R.J., who was in a chair, and Brooke waltzed in, joking that she loved it when her sons got along. Maya asked if Brooke had heard the news. Liam and Steffy looked at each other as if they were choking on guilt as Brooke said Bill had told her that morning. Ivy recalled that Bill had wanted to buy the property.
Brooke said Caroline was in town, and Steffy asked if Thomas was, too. Affirming it, Brooke said Caroline hadn't said where Thomas was at the time. "I can only guess," Brooke added.
Everyone cleared out, and later, while Brooke worked at the table, Liam asked how Bill's spirits were. Brooke said Bill had no love lost about Spectra, but it had been sad for Brooke to hear that C.J. had let the insurance lapse. Brooke stated that Bill had said it wouldn't have happened if C.J. had sold Bill the building.
Steffy guessed Bill would get his building, after all. Liam replied that he wouldn't call it a sure thing. Brooke said Bill always thought a new building or buyout would make him more content, but it never lasted very long.
At the hospital, Sally's loved ones watched as the doctor examined Sally, and Sally pressed to know when she could leave. Removing the oxygen tubes, the doctor said it might be soon, but Sally shouldn't return to work right away. Shirley said that they needed a miracle.
Just then, Thomas entered with a bouquet of flowers. He sat on the bed and asked Sally what hurt. "Nothing now," Sally replied, and they hugged. The Spectra gang was anxious to know if Thomas had returned home or was just visiting. Sally stated that they'd next be asking what he had for them. She decided she was serious and asked what Thomas had for her. Thomas made a heart symbol with his fingers and pushed it toward her.
Shirley, Darlita, and Saul discussed how Sally had tried to go into her blazing office, but the firefighters had stopped her. Shirley told Thomas that they all were glad to have him there. Thomas looked at Saul, and Saul dubiously agreed that he felt the same way.
Coco said they should give Sally and Thomas time alone, and the Spectra gang exited. Sally said that even as everything had gone up in flames, she'd thought that she at least had Thomas.
Later, Thomas was explaining that Caroline had good and bad days. She seemed physically well, but she was in an emotional tailspin. Caroline didn't want to tell her moms about the diagnosis, leaving him as her only support. Sally said it was a lot for Thomas to handle. Thomas replied that it would help if Sally didn't go running into burning buildings.
Sally claimed it hadn't been what had happened. She explained that she'd taken the crew out to dinner, and they hadn't noticed the fire from the outside as they'd returned to the building to work. Everyone had been happy and ready for the showing. She said that, upon exiting the elevator, they'd seen her office on fire. She claimed that she'd opened the office door, but a beam had blocked her way. She'd watched their work go up in flames.
Sally's dreams had been shattered, and she hadn't been able to see a way forward. "Until you walked through the door," she said.
A nurse checked on the coughing Sally, who asked for her discharge papers. The nurse said the doctor wanted to wait until Sally could be without supplemental oxygen. Thomas joked that he could go so he didn't suck up the air in the room. Sally asked where he'd go, and he said into the lobby so the gang could return and visit.
Sally asked if Thomas was back. Thomas offered to let her pinch him to see that he was real. Sally admired him for what he was doing for Caroline and Douglas and for making the time to see if her charred lungs and rotten luck would be okay. Thomas asked if she was going to be okay.
Sally replied that she tried not to have expectations when it came to Thomas, but she did. She couldn't help but think he'd be her champion as he'd always been. She wondered if he still was or if it had changed after he'd left. Sally stated that she hated to sound needy, but she actually was. She literally had nothing but her health. She needed to know if Thomas was back.
At Forrester, Steffy and Liam talked with Brooke about Bill. The couple felt that just when they thought they had Bill figured out, they always learned that they didn't and never would. Brooke asked if Liam and Bill were at odds about something, and she remarked that Liam had said the skyscraper building wasn't a sure thing. Brooke wondered if Liam knew something she didn't.
Liam stated that nothing in life was certain. Brooke didn't know what would derail Bill's plans at that point. "Barring anything unforeseen," Brooke added. Liam wouldn't rule out anything possibly occurring. Brooke said that her husband was a good man, but he could be ruthless about business and making things happen.
Brooke pointed out that she was Bill's wife, not an officer in the company. Liam asked if it meant she supported everything Bill did. She replied that she and Bill didn't have a marriage like that. "And neither do we," Steffy chimed in. She said that, at times, she and Liam agreed to disagree.
Brooke felt that she and Bill were the same way, but he was the most single-minded man she'd ever met. She said that it was a shame about Sally's building, but it hadn't been Bill's fault. Brooke concluded that Sally's bad luck was Bill's good luck. Brooke left, and Steffy and Liam glared at each other.
Pacing, Liam said he'd gotten very close to telling Brooke the truth. Steffy told him that she'd seen it on his face, but telling Brooke would further complicate things. Liam exclaimed that the building had been destroyed, Sally was in the hospital, and lives were decimated. He asked how he could sit back, knowing what he knew. Liam didn't think he could sit back while his dad went "la di da di da" on his way. Liam wasn't sure he could let Bill get away with it that time.
Steffy didn't agree with Bill's actions, but she said Bill was Liam's father. Liam stated that even the great Bill Spencer shouldn't be above the law. Steffy didn't disagree, but she said Bill could go to jail for a long time. She asked if Liam wanted to do that to his father. She asked if Liam wanted to forever destroy his relationships with Bill, Wyatt, and Will.
At the hospital, Sally asked Thomas to say that he was back for good. She said that, several times, she'd been tempted to hop on a plane to fly to New York to see him take his son to the park. Thomas hated being away. He conveyed that the time he'd had with Caroline and his son as a family, and having the comfort that he could do it with the time she'd had left, had only been possible due to Sally. He stated that it was no wonder that he'd fallen for Sally.
Sally said she'd fallen for Thomas, too. Thomas felt as if he'd come into his own by designing with her. She joked that the redhead with big dreams had taught him all he knew. He replied that there was nothing wrong with big dreams. She sobbed that it had all gone up in flames, and she'd worked "so hard" on the collection. When she hadn't believed in herself, she'd heard him saying she could do it. Thomas said it wasn't over, and she could rebuild.
Sally said that there was no money to rebuild with because C.J. had forgotten to pay the insurance. Thomas expressed shock. Sally stated that it wasn't possible to rebuild unless Thomas was there to face it with her. He replied that Caroline was dying, and he had to be in New York with her and his son.
Thomas wanted to be there for Sally, but there was a lot going on with Caroline and Douglas. Thomas said his son would lose his mother. Sally understood that. Thomas added that she knew, but she needed him there. Sally replied that she was scared about the future and being unable to bounce back. Her line was gone, the business was in ashes, and even if she had the resources, she had no idea where to start.
Thomas told Sally that she'd start by picking up a sketchpad. He said the fire hadn't taken away who she was, her drive, or her passion. "You are Spectra Fashions! I believe that without a doubt. You have to believe that," he urged her. Sally said she loved him.
Sally and Thomas hugged and kissed. Thomas uttered that he couldn't stay. Sally said that she understood. Thomas kissed her forehead, and she put on a brave face as he walked out the door. Once he was gone, she sobbed alone.
Saul and Shirley arrived. They'd seen Thomas leave and asked if he was returning to New York. Sally affirmed it, and Shirley said it didn't make sense to her. It did to Sally, and Shirley stated that there had to be something Sally wasn't telling them. Saul said they just wanted to help her.
Sally knew and loved Saul and Shirley for it; however, Thomas needed to be with Caroline and Douglas. She didn't know when she'd see Thomas again, and it hurt very much. Sally cried, and Shirley rushed to hug her.
At Spencer, guilt ate Caroline alive, and she said that, even though she and Thomas had bonded as a family, he hadn't wasted a second in rushing back to the West Coast once he'd heard about the fire. The lying was eating her alive, and she didn't know what Thomas would do. She was worried, too, about how Sally would make it through.
Bill asked who cared, as long as the damsel in distress didn't drag Thomas into it. Bill insisted that Caroline's "dying" trumped Sally's burned building. Caroline gave Bill a suspicious look and asked what happened next for him. He said he'd slide his dustpan in, clean up, and fast-track his skyscraper. She asked what would happen if they wanted to rebuild with the insurance money.
Bill informed her that C.J. had screwed up and let the insurance lapse. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Bill asked. Caroline asked if Bill knew more about the Spectra fire than he was letting on. Bill feigned outrage to be asked that question. Caroline asked how Sally could rebuild without insurance. Bill said Sally couldn't unless Thomas decided to play superhero.
Bill urged Caroline to get to the hospital and see what was happening because they both had a lot to lose. Caroline refused and said living with her in New York didn't make Thomas' feelings for Sally disappear. Bill thought Thomas would care a lot more once he saw Sally in the hospital bed. Bill asked where Caroline would be once Thomas started nursing the pitiful victim back to health. Caroline thought the better question was where Bill would be.
Caroline noted that Bill hadn't denied being responsible for the fire. "If you want me to deny it, fine," Bill replied, but he thought she needed to know some things first. He said the wiring in the building had been shot, and it was a miracle that it hadn't gone up in flames before. He explained that it almost had when Liam and Jarrett had been there for the preview, but Liam had put it out. "So if you need me to say the words -- no. I did not torch Spectra. Satisfied?" Bill asked.
Insisting that his hands were clean, Bill ordered Caroline not to take it up with him or anyone else ever again. He told her that she needed to focus on Thomas and making sure Sally wasn't playing on Thomas' sympathies. Bill reminded her that the plan all along had been making sure Thomas was committed to her and Douglas.
Bill advised Caroline to get Thomas back to New York and get the commitment. At that point, she could have her miracle cure. She just had to hold out a little longer. Caroline asked what would happen if she couldn't. Bill replied that she'd be giving the father of her son back to Sally, and the man Caroline loved would be lost to her forever. Bill asked if Caroline could live with that.
Thomas arrived with Douglas, whom he'd found just before Alison had broken out more ice cream. Thomas asked for baby wipes, and Caroline appeared to be woozy as she reached for her bag. Bill caught hold of her and helped her into a seat. Thomas said to take it easy, and Bill replied that he'd been telling her that. Caroline rolled her eyes at Bill.
Caroline asked how Sally was. Thomas said Sally was good, but Spectra was another story. Bill asked if they still suspected that it had been faulty wiring. As far as Thomas knew, they did. Thomas was glad to be back. He'd never seen Sally that way. Sally's whole world was crashing in on her, and she really needed him. Bill asked if that meant Thomas was staying.
Thomas replied that he'd told Sally he'd return to New York with Caroline and Douglas. Caroline asked if Thomas was sure because Sally seemed to be in a bad place. Bill asserted that Sally had a family, just like Caroline and Thomas did with Douglas.
Thomas was ready to head to the airport, but Bill asked for a moment alone with his niece. Thomas left with Douglas to wait downstairs. Bill told Caroline that Thomas wanted to be with her, even though Sally had probably done everything she'd been able to do to get him to remain. "God! How do you still not get it?" Caroline roared, hopping from her seat.
Caroline asserted that the whole charade wasn't her. She assumed Bill could lie and not have it eat him up on the inside, but she wasn't him. Bill replied that he wasn't twisting her arm. Caroline said he was manipulating her, and she was manipulating Thomas. She contended that Bill had said it was about helping her, but it was all about him helping himself.
"And this! This is what it's been about from the beginning! Your stupid skyscraper!" Caroline yelled, pointing at the model skyscraper. She said it wasn't about her, and it wasn't about Douglas. "It's about this damn skyscraper!" she argued and raised her hand to smite it.
Bill caught Caroline's arm and prevented her from taking a swing at "Sky." Caroline broke away and stormed out of the office.
