Marcus glowered from the Sky Lounge as Rick pulled into the parking lot below. He alerted Ridge of "Mister Big Shot"'s arrival. Ridge told all the other gathered Forrester employees. Then, Rick appeared. Aunts Katie and Donna ran to his side, and Brooke told everyone what Lt. Baker had found and asked everyone to keep their eyes and ears open for whoever had done this to her son. Ridge moved the topic to their new line and then walked off. Left with Thorne, Pam, Marcus, and Owen, Rick fired Owen and Pam! They were not pleased. Alone, Pam crocheted away and they all kvetched. Donna asked Brooke to get a hold of her son. Brooke then pointed out Donna's son had motive to burn down the beach house. Both mothers defended their boys. Meanwhile, Marcus confronted Rick about the firings. "It's all gonna blow up in your face," he warned. Then, Pam vented to Stephanie and Donna walked up to snipe and the Bakers questioned Marcus. Donna showed up in time to speak up for her son. When it came time for Owen to visit Rick, he made pointed comments about a "barbecue on the beach." He murmured that Rick's power trip was "gonna explode."

At Taylor's, she and Steffy went a few rounds about the fire at Rick's, and Taylor asked Steffy if she and Rick had slept together. Taylor knew the answer without Steffy answering! "Rick loves me, and he's not going to hurt me," Steffy insisted, before saying that Rick suspected Ridge of setting the fire. Taylor went off, telling her that the family would never accept the relationship and they had to tell Ridge that it had gotten sexual.

Stephanie and Ridge caught up with the Bakers, and Stephanie was confident their investigation would point to Rick having set the fire himself. Alone, Stephanie turned her ire on Brooke's pro-Rick bias. Brooke walked in on it and booted Stephanie out. Steph left with a warning that Steffy wasn't safe. Brooke then boggled at the theory that Rick set the fire himself. Ridge joined her, and the topic turned to Steffy. Brooke pointed out they couldn't stop their kids anymore than Stephanie could have stopped them. Ridge disagreed. "Rick has problems and he needs help, but he's in danger now," pointed out Brooke. "I have to support my son." Ridge wondered if this was the "one obstacle we can't get beyond." Ridge reiterated that Rick is "severely messed up," and said he'd take Steffy halfway around the world before he let them be together. And sex? If he discovered "that man" had been "violating" his daughter, there'd be hell to pay. Of course, that's exactly when Taylor called with news...