At Forrester, Taylor arrived to confront Brooke about Hope going to Aspen. Taylor didn't see why Brooke would encourage Hope after Liam had moved on. Brooke didn't see exchanging one fiancée for another as moving on, and she remarked that Taylor didn't seem very confident. Taylor insisted that Steffy and Liam were happy, and Hope needed to leave them alone.
Brooke said she supported her daughter's relationship as much as Taylor's supported Steffy's; however, it galled Brooke that Bill was keeping Hope and Liam apart. Taylor saw it as supporting his son, but Brooke doubted Katie would agree. Taylor figured everyone would get along, because that was what in-laws learned to do. Brooke asserted that it wouldn't get that far, because Liam would return to Hope the moment he figured out that she still loved him.
Taylor reasoned that Liam hadn't tracked Hope down because he'd figured out that Steffy was really the woman he needed. Taylor stated that Hope had issues; however, Brooke asserted that Steffy, who had a history of pursuing unavailable men, was the one with the issues. Brooke declared that Liam would have Hope back because she was the one he wanted for life. Taylor laughed at Brooke's simplistic, "child-like" viewpoint, but Brooke insisted that she was correct. "Because that's the way it's always been for you and Ridge?" Taylor sneered.
Brooke figured it wasn't easy for her daughter to look up to her, but she was proud that her relationship with Ridge had taught Hope about true love. Brooke was sad that her and Taylor's daughters had inherited the legacy of fighting over one man. Taylor concluded that one would be heartbroken, and Brooke hoped Taylor would support Steffy when it happened to her.
At the Gondola station just after Steffy stomped off, news reporter Oliver spotted Hope in line for a ticket. Oliver called Bill to report that Hope wasn't too far behind Steffy on the way to the top of the mountain. Bill ordered Oliver to stand by for further instructions. Steffy called Bill in a panic and ordered him to do whatever he had to do to stop Hope's gondola -- right then and there. Bill said he could do a lot of things, but probably not that Steffy, however, begged him to stop Hope and then clicked off the line.
Justin asked Bill how in the world he'd do that. "Watch me," a determined Bill said and made a call to Oliver, the reporter. Bill ordered Oliver to stop Hope's gondola, but Oliver said it was impossible. Bill demanded that it be done when Bill called back. Next, Steffy called Bill to say she'd disembarked, and he had to stop the gondolas immediately.
At the gondola station, Oliver lied to a maintenance man to have him stop the gondolas to load news equipment. The man didn't want to do it, but Oliver insisted that it was for a live broadcast. Bill, who had two phones in his hands, called Oliver and demanded that the cars be stopped. Steffy begged Bill on the other phone as Oliver pleaded with the maintenance man.
As Hope took the 20 minute trek up the incline, she talked to Rick on the phone. Hope was anxious to tell Liam that each of them had overreacted, but they'd make it right. After the call ended, she recalled fond memories of her relationship and then bounced anxiously in her seat as she neared the top. Suddenly, all the gondolas on the incline stopped, and Hope groaned that she didn't have time for that.
Atop Ajax, Steffy cooed when she saw all the gondolas suspended in the air. She thanked Bill, who readily guessed she was up to something.
Meanwhile, from her dangling gondola, Hope could see Liam waiting at the summit. She pounded on the glass of her car and begged him to look over at her. Liam turned, but before his gaze reached the gondolas, he saw a woman striding toward him in a short white dress and a 20-foot-long veil. From her gondola, Hope frowned, trying to figure out what was going on. Upon reaching the summit, Steffy lifted her veil, looked at Liam, and uttered, "Marry me."
At Forrester, Brooke and Taylor met and argued over what had happened in Aspen. Brooke figured that Hope was on the mountain and had found Liam. Taylor assured Brooke that they would hear when and if anything had happened. Taylor reminded Brooke that Liam and Hope had broken up.
Taylor reiterated that Liam had become miserable during his engagement to Hope. Brooke reminded Taylor that it had been odd that Liam had turned so quickly to Steffy, a very fast rebound. Taylor argued that Steffy and Liam shared a very strong chemistry. Taylor said that Liam and Steffy had an adult relationship.
Taylor called Hope repressed. Taylor said that Hope's message in the media about abstinence. Restraint and self-respect were signs that she wasn't ready for a physical commitment or marriage. Taylor said that she respected Hope for her message, but that Liam hadn't bought into it. Taylor encouraged Brooke to accept the fact that Steffy and Liam were in love.
Brooke reiterated that after Hope had explained to Liam what had happened, they would patch things up. Brooke was confident that Liam wouldn't turn his back on Hope, and Hope knew that she had made a mistake. Brooke added that Hope was an intelligent young woman with morals and ethics. Hope was a role model. Liam, Brooke added, was a fine young man who respected Hope. Taylor again reminded Brooke that Hope had broken the engagement and Liam had connected with Steffy.
On the plane, Rick got a call from his friend in Aspen, who asked if Hope had connected with Liam. Rick said that he hadn't heard yet, but that Hope was on her way up the mountain to meet Liam. The pilot appeared, and Rick told him to add Liam Spencer to passengers for the trip home, and he warned the pilot that they would want to get off the ground in a hurry because there would be an unhappy woman following Liam.
At Spencer, Justin and Bill celebrated that they had secreted Liam and Steffy away to Aspen and kept Hope away from them. Katie entered, and Bill claimed they were celebrating Liam's engagement. Bill tried to joke about the fact that Liam and Steffy were going to get married. Katie was furious. Bill claimed that he was supporting Liam, not Steffy. Katie argued that Bill was pushing Liam toward Steffy.
Bill knew that Katie was unhappy because Steffy had attracted Liam's attention. Katie warned that Bill couldn't lie to her. She knew that he had more up his sleeve than sending Liam and Steffy off to celebrate their engagement. Bill explained that he had kept the location a secret from Hope because he knew that Hope would only get hurt if she found Liam and Steffy. Bill said that no one wanted that to happen. Katie snarked that Bill hadn't arranged a vacation to spare Hope's feelings. Bill argued that the press would vilify Steffy and Liam if they found out where they were.
"I loathe Steffy," Katie said.
Bill said that he didn't want it to become a problem in their marriage, but Katie said it had already been a problem. Katie reminded Bill that weeks before, Steffy had been after Bill. Katie shouted that Bill had matched Steffy up with Liam to keep Steffy close. Bill disagreed. He grabbed Katie and told her that when she had given him an ultimatum about their marriage, he had realized how much their life together meant to him. He added that Steffy was good for Liam, but not for him. Steffy refused to back down.
"I'm sorry, Bill, but I will never accept that woman into our family," Katie said.
On the mountaintop, Steffy wore a white dress and veil and asked Liam to marry her. Liam told her that she was crazy. Steffy said that she couldn't think of a more beautiful place to have a wedding. Steffy pressured Liam to get married because they had a commitment to each other. Meanwhile, Hope was stuck in the gondola and watched the whole thing.
Liam told Steffy that they couldn't get married, but she persuaded him to be spontaneous. Bill's associate, Ramona, showed up at the top of the mountain with souvenir rings from the gifts shop and a minister. Liam grinned, and asked if they could really have a wedding.
The minister assured Liam that all he had to do was sign some documents at the courthouse. Steffy tried to persuade Liam that she wanted what was best for him. She begged him to marry her, and she said how much she wanted to be his wife. "Let's do it," Liam said. Hope pounded on the windows of the gondola to get Liam's attention.
The minister talked about how the mountain was a place where people found peace. Steffy and Liam exchanged vows, and the minister offered his blessing. Hope watched and cried helplessly as the ceremony took place. She watched Liam and Steffy kiss as man and wife.
After their wedding, Steffy and Liam went to their hotel room in Aspen. They giggled about being married and getting married so quickly. Steffy said that she was "freaking out." Then she said, "Liam, I'm your wife." They kissed. Liam told Steffy that Steffy had proven that he mattered to her.
They discussed that they had each fantasized about their weddings but nothing could have compared to getting married on top of a mountain. Steffy admitted that everything had fallen into place so easily. When she discovered that they could do it, she wasn't going to let anything stop her. Steffy said that it was wonderful that he had been waiting for her at just the right time. They talked about how incredible it had been.
Suddenly Liam remembered the guy who had given him the message to be at the mountaintop at 3 and "to not give up Hope." Liam figured the message had been from Steffy, but when he asked Steffy about the guy with the message, she said, "What?" Liam shrugged it off.
Steffy put on some lingerie, undressed Liam, and they fell into bed and made love for the first time as husband and wife. Afterwards, they cuddled, and Steffy said she couldn't believe they were married. She asked if he thought they were crazy. Liam said that Steffy was crazy.
Steffy teased that she hoped Liam didn't snore, and he teased that he was a big snorer. Steffy joked that she would get her lawyers to get her out of the marriage. They laughed, and Steffy said that she wanted to be that happy every day. She told Liam that he had changed her and made her a different person. She looked at her ring and said "Mrs. Liam Spencer." Liam caressed Steffy, but he seemed distracted.
On the plane, Rick called Brooke and said that he had still not heard from Hope. Right after he had hung up, Hope entered the plane and cried that she had watched Steffy and Liam get married. Hope explained that she never made it to the mountaintop because the gondola had stopped. Hope lamented that on the mountain, Steffy had appeared in bridal wear. Hope said that she screamed for Liam from the gondola, but no one could hear her. Rick couldn't believe she'd had to watch the whole wedding.
By the time the gondola had restarted, Hope explained that Rick and Steffy had already left. Rick said that Hope was better off. He couldn't believe that Liam could do something like that. Then, Rick changed his mind and said that they should find Steffy and Liam. Hope should tell Liam how she felt. Hope disagreed. "He married her. He married Steffy," Hope said.
Hope asked Rick to take her home. After the flight started, Hope said that she had been a fool. Rick couldn't believe what Liam had done. Hope wondered what would have happened if she hadn't given Liam his ring back. She marveled that he had actually married Steffy. Later, she sat by herself and remembered how happy she and Liam had been when he asked her to marry him.
At home, Ridge joined Brooke, and she said that they had no word from Hope. She warned that Steffy was going to get hurt because the engagement was such a rebound. Brooke prattled on about how Liam would want Hope. Ridge didn't think Liam should be engaged to either of the girls until he figured out what he wanted. Brooke insisted that Hope and Liam had been through a lot together.
Suddenly Hope called and told Brooke the whole sad story. Hope explained that she had watched Steffy and Liam get married.
Brooke hung up and told Ridge. Ridge was amazed that Liam could have married Steffy. Brooke said that she couldn't imagine how he could get married the day after Hope had broken up with him. Brooke said that she knew Ridge wanted Steffy to be happy, but she couldn't believe that Liam and Steffy had married so quickly and made Hope so miserable. Brooke and Ridge embraced and looked concerned.
On the plane ride home from Aspen, Liam remarked that his father hated surprises, so needed to call Bill about the wedding. Liam called his father, who was decking the cliff house with wedding decorations. When Bill heard the wedding news, he pretended to be miffed; however, Liam put Steffy on the phone, and Bill told her, "Well, done." After the call, Steffy said Bill was happy for them, but she wasn't sure her father would be. The jet landed, and Liam asked if she wanted to call her parents. Steffy said they'd call her if they were worried.
At the cliff house, Katie arrived at Bill's request and was unenthused with the decor. Bill announced that he was throwing a party for the newlyweds, and Katie scoffed, unable to believe that Liam had married Steffy -- or that Bill was supporting it. Katie raged that she would never accept Steffy into their family, but then bitterly noted that Bill didn't seem to mind one bit. "This are so good. Have one," Bill said, offering her shrimp.
Katie suspected that Bill had somehow had something to do with the wedding. Bill denied it, saying he was only responsible for wanting his son to find the same joy and happiness that he'd found with Katie. Liam and Steffy arrived, and Katie declared that they weren't done talking.
Katie snarled as Bill made a big to-do of having Liam carry Steffy over the threshold. Katie seemed nauseous as Bill welcomed Steffy to the family. Bill broke out some champagne, but then carted Liam outside when Katie tried to tell Liam that Hope had been in Aspen. Alone with Steffy, Katie remarked that something really stank. Steffy suggested that they forget the past, but Katie stated that those who did were doomed to repeat it.
Steffy claimed that Liam was all that he'd thought Bill was, and more. Katie rolled her eyes, but Steffy was sure she'd be a loving wife, and a Spencer to be proud of. Steffy said Katie should resist the temptation to be the "mother-in-law from hell." Katie, however, stated Liam would return to Hope, if Katie had anything to do with it. Katie was sure Steffy had manipulated things somehow, and she said that, once Liam realized it, he'd leave Steffy. Katie bid Steffy to enjoy it while she could, because it wouldn't last.
At Brooke house, Ridge arrived home early from work to check on Hope. Hope arrived downstairs after being in bed all day, and Ridge and Brooke asked her for more details about the trip. Ridge asked what had happened to the lift, but Hope didn't know. Brooke thought it was a strange coincidence that Steffy and Liam would choose to get married at the exact time and in the exact location of Hope's rendez-vous with Liam.
Brooke suspected that Rick's message to Liam had been intercepted, and she felt someone needed to question Liam about it. Ridge said the marriage had made it a moot point, but Brooke offered to talk to Liam. Hope said it wouldn't make any difference, because she was his past, not his future. Brooke thought Liam was hurting and needed to hear the truth about things. Hope stated that she could fix a mistake, but not a marriage.
At Stephanie's house, Stephanie was curious upon seeing a romantic table setting in the living room. Eric said he wanted to celebrate because no tumors had shown up on her brain scan. She reasoned that it didn't mean they weren't still there. Eric scowled, and as she coughed, he noted that she did it every time he entered a room with her. She dismissively said he probably didn't hear her when he was in other rooms. Sighing, Eric thought about the wasted time and said he wanted his wife back. Stephanie seemed perplexed.
Over dinner, they chatted about Alexandria's summer visits. Stephanie mentioned that she hadn't worn a bathing suit by the pool because she hadn't wanted their granddaughter to see the scars on her body. Eric guessed that being sick had changed the way Stephanie felt about her body, and he asked if she thought a woman who had cancer could be beautiful. She guessed some could -- but not her. He told her that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever known, and she should never forget it.
After dinner, Eric asked Stephanie to dance. Stephanie didn't feel like dancing or being happy, but Eric retorted that she felt like doing a food drive every ten minutes. He continued complaining that she'd happily be at Dayzee's at all hours or the night, ministering to the homeless. or meddling in other people's business. Stephanie guessed she'd hurt his feelings, and he replied that he should take rejection better.
A confused Stephanie stated that Eric was treating her like he was on a date with his girlfriend. "You are my girlfriend. Stephanie, you're my girl. You're my girl now, and you always will be," he said. Stephanie sadly stated that she didn't know if she could be that anymore. Eric handed her a gift box and said to never doubt his love for her.
At home, Stephanie hesitated to open Eric's gift, but at his urging, she pulled from the box a garment that he'd designed for the "Intimates" line. He figured she'd like to have something that made her feel good about her body. Stephanie declined to wear it, and he poured himself a drink. Suddenly, he refused to drink himself to sleep just because she didn't like a gift that other women would appreciate.
Figuring that Eric meant women like Donna or Brooke, Stephanie told him that he could try seducing her once the doctors stopped predicting that she had a year to live. Eric asked why he had to seduce his wife "or my partner in life -- or whatever it is that you and I are these days." He insisted that she was using her cancer to keep them in separate beds. He resented her showing compassion to the homeless while he starved for affection. He felt that she was using Dayzee's as an excuse. Stephanie blurted out that it was the only way to stop him from touching her and wanting to be touched.
Eric guessed that his touch repulsed Stephanie, but Stephanie claimed that once it started, he'd be insatiable. He said that affection, such as from pets, helped people live longer. She quipped that she'd get him a puppy, but it was really only about sex for him. Eric got offended, and Stephanie said sex had cost her in the past, because he'd wanted other women more than he'd wanted her.
Eric denied that and refused to allow Stephanie to shame him out of his basic need for affection. He claimed that his business had been founded upon passion, and he'd used his imagination to garner affection. Stephanie noted that temptation had caused him to stray. She guessed her issues with sex had stemmed from her father's past abuse of her, but then figured that the reasons no longer mattered.
Eric again asked Stephanie to wear the lingerie. She said she'd treasure the passion they'd shared; however, that chapter of their lives was over. He wasn't ready to give that up, but she wished to grow old gracefully. He said his desires hadn't left him, but she stated that she needed intimacy of a different kind. Eric reasoned that, in the end, she'd get what she wanted, but he wouldn't. He wondered what would happen if he refused to go without.
At the cliff house, Taylor arrived at the party and urged Steffy to talk to her father about the impromptu wedding. Steffy had called Ridge earlier, but she'd hung up due to her anxiety. With encouragement from Taylor, Steffy called Ridge back and invited him to the surprise reception. Steffy said that she knew the situation was difficult for him, but she was his daughter, too.
At Ridge's house, Brooke overheard Ridge talking to Steffy. The couple debated Hope, Liam, and Steffy's choices, and then Ridge left for the reception. As the depressed Hope strode through the room, Brooke stopped her to say that Liam and Steffy were back in town. Brooke advised Hope not to be so prideful that Steffy would get away with what she'd done.
Brooke urged Hope to go to Liam, because it was never too late to fix things. Hope didn't want to fight because enough was enough in her eyes; however, Brooke reminded Hope that she'd said she'd given up too soon. Brooke stated that Hope couldn't really take responsibility for the situation until she told Liam what had really happened. Hope agreed that she had to see him.
Brooke drove Hope to the cliff house, but Hope felt skittish about going inside. She feared that Liam had really been waiting for Steffy on Ajax Mountain. Brooke was certain that he'd been waiting for Hope, and Steffy had known it. Brooke asserted that Steffy had stopped the lift and convinced Liam to marry her. Brooke urged Hope to get her man back.
Ridge arrived at the cliff house, and Bill announced that the party could start. Bill asked for a hug between the fathers-in-law, but Ridge passed. Taylor assumed the marriage was a shock for Ridge, and then Liam approached to say he was sorry for what had happened with Hope. To Ridge, Liam explained that after Hope had left him, he'd seen that he could still have what he'd wanted -- with Steffy.
Ridge took Steffy outside to talk alone, and he asked why it had to be the man that Hope had intended to marry. Steffy said she'd wanted to be there for Liam, and Hope hadn't been around. Steffy claimed that when Liam had said he loved her back, her life had made sense to her. Ridge hugged her and acknowledged her happiness. They said they loved each other, and Ridge returned inside to the party. As Steffy used a mirror to adjust her makeup, she saw Hope standing behind her on the patio.
