In Ridge's office, Brooke ended a call with Stacey Barton, and Stephanie wandered in, wondering why Brooke seemed upset. Brooke mumbled that the Aspen trip was a disaster due to the press. Stephanie asked what Brooke had expected and guessed that Hope, who'd known the price of being with Liam, could handle it. A distraught Brooke said that it was different that time, and Hope wasn't strong enough to cope with it, as Brooke had been in the past.

Brooke asked Stephanie to help her figure out what to do. Stephanie sensed that something more was wrong. Brooke said Hope was fragile, and Brooke was sure Stephanie would blame that on Brooke, as well. Stephanie knowingly nodded, but decided that they should just leave it at that. Brooke uttered that there was something Stephanie should know.

Upset, Brooke rambled about Hope being in trouble. Stephanie suggested calling Hope, but Brooke had already left Hope several messages. Brooke's stomach was in knots because she was so worried, and she noted that she'd called Hope's therapist, Dr. Stacey Barton. Stephanie felt it was good to have Hope see a doctor and advised Brooke to trust Hope to call Stacey if the need arose. Brooke admitted that she couldn't rely on that because Hope hadn't been making the best decisions.

Stephanie became perplexed, and Brooke confided that Hope had been prescribed some antianxiety medication, but once the two pills had run out, Hope had somehow gotten more online without a prescription. Brooke had been trying not to overreact, because Hope had claimed to be done with the pills; however, Brooke wanted Hope to talk to Stacey before the press spun Hope out of control again.

Dr. Barton arrived, and Brooke introduced her to Stephanie. Stephanie asked to remain for the meeting out of her concern for Hope. Brooke told Stacey what had happened in Aspen with Hope and the press, but Stephanie urged Brooke to talk about the online pills Hope had gotten.

The news of Hope taking unregulated pills made Stacey uncomfortable. Stacey was worried about the side effects of the unknown drug -- especially upon Hope's coordination. Stacey described in detail the dangers of taking unprescribed, online medication, and Brooke hoped Stacey would tell Hope all those things and convince Hope to destroy all the pills.

At the Spencer compound, Hope gripped her pill bottle. The boisterous paparazzi outside raged on, and amid the camera flashes, Hope slipped a pill into her mouth. A photographer at the window grinned, admiring the shot he'd taken through the vertical crack between the blinds and window frame.

At the fashion event, Oliver took a call from Bill and said everything was going as Bill had wished. Oliver revealed that a photographer had snapped a photo of Hope taking some sort of pill. A very interested Bill asked Oliver to forward the photo to Bill's office.

Elsewhere, Liam encountered Steffy, who informed him that the press had recognized Hope and chased her out of the event. Liam murmured something under his breath and called to advise Hope to go directly to the house to escape the press. Hope murmured that she'd done that, but the press had surrounded the place. He advised her to hold on, because he'd be there right away.

By the time Liam arrived at the house, the press had gone. He located Hope in the bedroom, and she explained that it had been a madhouse with the press clogging the windows. Glad that it was over, she suggested that she and Liam hit the slopes. She said she'd like to see the paparazzi catch her swooshing away on her skis. "The lady wants to ski, we ski," Liam responded.

As they left, Liam figured his father would be livid at the actions of the press, and Liam decided that he'd call the police if it happened again. Hope was hardly listening to him, and he restated that the press had blown things out of proportion. "Yeah...totally..." a spaced-out Hope said, and Liam frowned.

Later, Ramona met up with Steffy and announced that they were done working for the day. Ramona was ready to hit the slopes and insisted that Steffy go with her. The pair snowboarded for a while, and Steffy decided to take a break. Ramona said she's see Steffy at the bottom and then took off.

Liam and Hope arrived at the slopes and suited up. Hope squealed like an excited kid, and Liam noted that she was barely recognizable in her white bunny suit. As Hope and Liam skied, Liam's snowboard became loose. He stopped to adjust it, but Hope persisted down the slope on her two skis. He shouted that she was going too fast, but she giggled as she pressed on.

Further down the hill, Steffy paused to adjust her snowboard. Suddenly, she lurched forward as Hope collided with her. Steffy toppled over, and her head hit the snow.

After Hope literally ran into Steffy while skiing in Aspen, Hope and Steffy were on the ground. They appeared to be knocked out, but Hope got up. She didn't realize it was Steffy that she had run into. Hope edged closer to the person lying on the ground and asked about her condition.

Steffy opened her eyes and removed her helmet. She and Hope argued. Steffy said Hope must have been blind or had her eyes closed to run right into her. Hope laughed and apologized. Hope confirmed that Steffy was okay, and then she took off skiing. Hope said she would race Steffy to the bottom.

Steffy tried to stand, but groaned when her leg gave out. Meanwhile, Liam snowboarded down the hill and stopped when he saw Steffy on the ground, holding her knee. Steffy told Liam that Hope had run into her, and Steffy had thought she was okay, so she'd told Hope to leave. Steffy said her knee hurt. Liam sympathized with Steffy's injury and was in disbelief that Hope had left her alone.

Liam hugged Steffy and tried to help her to her feet, but she was in too much pain. He wrapped his arms around her, and put his coat underneath her until the ski patrol could arrive. Liam hugged Steffy and remembered all the great times he and Steffy'd had to together.

The ski patrol arrived and moved Steffy onto a toboggan. Liam caressed Steffy and told her she would be fine. Steffy asked Liam to take her snowboard to his house, but he said that he would accompany her to the hospital. The ski patrol asked if he was a friend or relative, and Liam said that he was Steffy's husband.

At Spencer Publications, Bill and Alison discussed Bill's hatred for Hope. Alison quizzed why he felt he needed to save Liam from Hope. Bill claimed that Hope was Brooke reincarnated, but Brooke used sex to get what she wanted while Hope had withheld sex to get what she wanted. Bill claimed it was all about control.

Bill praised Steffy and said that Liam had been happy when he was with Steffy. Bill added that since Liam had been with Hope, he had never seemed happy. Instead, Liam had nothing but drama in his life. Bill said the same was true of Brooke. She always had drama.

Alison noted that Bill was worried about Liam, but she added that he was overlooking Hope's good qualities. They argued, and Bill teased that Alison was fired for disagreeing with him. Bill said that Steffy and Hope were exactly like their mothers. Bill wanted Liam to realize that he belonged with Steffy.

Bill praised Taylor as elegant and sophisticated while Brooke was sexy. Bill said that he preferred Taylor. Alison stuck up for Hope, but Bill clearly felt that Hope was too young and too much trouble for Liam.

At Forrester, Rick talked to Brooke, who was worried about Hope. Rick said that Liam never should have left Hope alone. Brooke reminded Rick that Liam was working in Aspen and not on vacation. Rick argued that Liam never should have invited Hope to Aspen because everyone knew the media would follow her everywhere. Rick blamed Liam for not staying with Hope.

Brooke lamented to Rick that Hope had not answered any of Brooke's text or phone messages. Brooke shared that Dr. Barton had warned that it was not a good idea for Hope to visit Aspen. Rick said there was more to the story. Brooke agreed, but she was interrupted by a call from Hope, who said that she was on the ski slope and had crashed into Steffy.

Hope laughed and said that there were more than 75 slopes in Aspen, and she had to collide with Steffy on one of them. Brooke asked if anyone was hurt, and Hope laughed it off as no big deal. Brooke asked why Hope hadn't called. Hope said that she was having fun, and had enjoyed skiing without any media following her. Hope said that she was waiting for Liam to meet her. Hope, clearly dizzy from the medication, wondered why it was taking Liam so long to get to the bottom of the hill.

At the hospital in Aspen, Liam and Steffy chatted, and the doctor entered. Steffy knew the doctor, who said Steffy needed an MRI, but he didn't think she had a serious injury. Steffy told Liam to leave because Hope probably wondered what had happened to him.

Liam promised to stay, but Steffy said she wasn't going to whine and beg him to stay with her because that was the old Steffy, and she was gone. Steffy smiled. Liam kissed her on the forehead and insisted that she call him to let him know how she was doing.

Ramona arrived to check on Steffy, and they talked about Liam and Hope. Steffy recalled that when Liam had found Steffy on the mountain, they'd had electricity between them. Steffy said that she knew Liam had felt it, too.

At the Spencer retreat, Hope waited for Liam and wondered what had happened to him. Brooke called and asked about the collision that Steffy and Hope had had. Hope dismissed it as nothing, but Brooke was concerned. Hope hung up.

Liam arrived, and Hope ran to hug him. She told him that she had been worried. Liam angrily told Hope that Steffy had been hurt, and Hope had left her on the mountain. Hope said that Steffy had said she was fine. Liam said that Steffy was in the hospital with a bad knee.

Hope wanted to check on Steffy, but Liam warned that they had a bigger problem. Liam said that he had dreaded the conversation they were about to have. Liam accused Hope of self-medicating with the pills again. Hope admitted it, but she defended herself. She chattered on about how stressed she had been and how the photographers were shooting through the windows.

Liam angrily told Hope that she was stronger than that. He asked her why she hadn't called the property manager or the police as they had discussed when they arrived. Liam added that Hope knew the photographers didn't want to be arrested. All she'd had to do was open the door and tell them to get out because they were on private property.

Liam told Hope to stop acting like the scared little girl that Bill had accused her of being. Liam angrily asked how she was going to cope with being Mrs. Bill Spencer III if she was already using medication to cope with photographers.

Hope moaned that she had been overwhelmed with being called an adulteress and a hypocrite. Liam told her she had to stop being a coward because he knew how strong she was. He warned that they would face much more stress than photographers and media for the rest of their lives. They would be under constant scrutiny, and he would not accept that she would deal with it by using medication.

Hope pulled out the bottle of medication and gave it to Liam. She promised to stop using it. Liam said that he was concerned that she had made that promise before. Liam reminded Hope that he had ended his marriage because it had been based on lies. He didn't want to get into another relationship that revolved around lies.

Liam emotionally said that his mother, on her deathbed, had refused to give in to a morphine stupor because her last few days with Liam had been so important to her. Liam said he was grateful for the last bit of time he'd had with his mother. He refused to watch Hope become dependent on drugs to cope with life. Hope begged for another chance.

At Forrester, Stephanie, Taylor, and Brooke discussed Hope and Steffy's collision on the ski slope. Steffy called Taylor and explained what had happened. Steffy gushed that Liam had found her and stayed with her. Taylor said that she was glad Steffy wasn't alone.

Brooke said it was an odd twist of fate that had drawn Steffy and Hope together on a mountain. Stephanie said she felt it was ridiculous that two beautiful, talented young Forrester women were chasing after Liam. Stephanie said that they should be enjoying life instead of competing for a man. Brooke and Taylor agreed, but they supported their daughters.

At the hospital, Steffy pointedly asked Ramona if Bill had ordered her to hound Hope with media coverage. Ramona tried to avoid Steffy's gaze, but Steffy warned her to stop the coverage. Steffy admitted that she knew Bill was powerful, but she wanted it to stop.

A nurse entered and asked for Steffy's ID, and Steffy searched her bag. Steffy found the annulment papers, and pulled them out. Steffy said that she was tired of always fighting for Liam and fighting with Hope.

Steffy said that she and Liam needed to find their way back to each other someday, but she no longer wanted to fight Hope for him. Ramona was shocked that Steffy would give up on Liam, but Steffy said she would never give up on Liam. Steffy decided that it was time to let Liam go. She signed the annulment papers.

At the Aspen Spencer house, Hope begged for forgiveness. Liam stated that they needed to have a talk, not a "high school" conversation. He said he loved and forgave her, but the issue between them was trust. Liam implored her not to make Bill out to be right about her. Liam worried that if she couldn't handle a few weeks of pressure from the press, then she couldn't handle being his wife or a mother. He hoped she wouldn't spend their marriage self-medicating to avoid tragedy.

Hope swore that she wouldn't use pills to solve her problems, but Liam wondered what had happened to her poise and confidence and how she'd become unable to handle the opinions of others. He revealed that his mother had chosen not to zone out on morphine as she was dying. Instead, his mother had suffered through the pain without medicating to give him parting memories that he could keep forever.

Hope admitted that she'd been listening to others, primarily her mother, who had a very different outlook on sexuality. Liam guessed they should have waited, but Hope replied that she didn't regret it. She feared not having a safe route of escape from the problem, and she was worried that Liam wouldn't accept her if she wasn't the exact same person he'd fallen in love with. Liam replied that he'd always love her, and they hugged.

Hope wanted to apologize to Steffy, but Liam wasn't sure that Steffy would want to see Hope. Hope advised him to visit Steffy, who Hope felt shouldn't be alone. Hope asked him to deliver her apology and then she assured him that they'd be okay, because she'd do what she needed to do.

At the Aspen hospital, Steffy stared at her signature on the annulment papers and said that Hope and Liam were free to pursue marital bliss. Ramona didn't understand why Steffy was releasing Liam, and Steffy said that things would just get worse if they continued down the same road. She was determined to give Liam his freedom and end the competition.

Ramona remarked that Steffy was wiping out the marriage as if it hadn't existed. Steffy figured that the marriage and the commitment would always be in her heart, but she was ready to give Liam his chance with Hope. "It's time," Steffy concluded.

Liam entered to check on Steffy, and Ramona left for work. Dr. Meade arrived to let Steffy know that her knee was sprained. He planned to fit her with a soft cast and then check on her in a few weeks, once he returned to his office in Los Angeles.

After Steffy was discharged from the hospital, she asked Liam to for a ride to her hotel, but Liam decided that she'd go to the house with him. She reminded him that Hope was there, but he figured it was a big enough house for both of them. Steffy claimed she was a "weak cowgirl" in need of help. Liam swept her into his arms. She said she was just kidding, but he still carried her out of the room.

In Ridge's office, Ridge found out about Steffy's accident from Taylor and Brooke, and then Steffy text-messaged him with her prognosis. At the same time, Hope called Brooke, who told Hope that Steffy had a sprained knee. Glad that Steffy was okay, Hope announced that she was headed home alone. Brooke asked if Liam was accompanying her, but Hope said she'd explain everything once she returned home.

After the call, Ridge and Taylor had questions about Hope's premature departure from Aspen, but Brooke said Hope hadn't gotten into it on the call. Brooke was worried about Hope returning home alone. Ridge figured Hope was escaping the press and letting Liam concentrate on work. Taylor, however, thought that Aspen had pulled Steffy and Liam closer, and that was why Hope was alone.

Later, Hope went to the Aspen airport, and as she flew home, she recalled memories of Liam.

Back at the Spencer compound in Aspen, Liam helped Steffy limp to the front door, where he found a note from Hope stuck to it. In the note, Hope said she was sorry that she'd let Liam down, and she'd see him in Los Angeles. Liam gasped, disheartened that Hope had gone home.

Later, Steffy relaxed alone on a deck and recalled the time she'd spent at the house with Liam. Liam handed her a hot drink and propped her leg on his knee as he sat down. She joked that her bright red ski jacket needed a warning label on it, because it wouldn't protect anyone from blondes on skis.

Steffy told Liam that she felt sorry that Hope had left and sorry that everyone was taking turns being happy or sad. She figured it was no way for any of them to live. Steffy cited that many crazy things had happened, and it was up to her to end the madness. From her jacket, she retrieved the annulment papers. Liam looked confused, and then he was surprised to see that she'd signed the annulment papers. "You're free," Steffy uttered in a meek voice.

At Spencer, Bill got the news of the accident and about Steffy's suspicions about the press from Ramona, who also reported that Hope had been unscathed by the collision. Bill remarked that Hope would have been too high to feel anything anyway. He ended the call with Ramona, and stared at Hope's pill-taking picture. He figured to himself that she'd been as high as a kite during the accident.

Bill wanted to call Steffy, but Alison entered and warned him not to do that, because it would raise suspicions. Alison suggested that he let Liam take care of Steffy, Bill's daughter-in-law. Bill insisted that Steffy would remain so, if he had a say in it. Scoffing, Alison pointed out that he'd had more than a say by his plan against Hope, involving the press. Bill advised Alison to rethink her position, and with a fake smile, Alison proclaimed that Liam was lucky to have a protective father. "Better," Bill said.

Alison didn't understand why Bill was so intent on ridding Liam of Hope. Bill said it wasn't for Alison to understand. Bill asserted that he was willing to take the risk so that Liam would realize that Steffy was best for him, and Steffy loved him.

Alison wondered if Steffy loved Liam enough to let him go. Bill said he didn't believe in mantras like that. He believed in fighting for the one he loved. In his mind, Steffy was a fighter, unlike Hope. He doubted any therapist could help that girl.

Outside Dr. Barton's office with Hope, Brooke expressed concern about what Hope had gone through in Aspen. Hope wished to talk to Dr. Barton first, but admitted Brooke had been right to be leery of the trip. Hope said she'd done something stupid, and Liam and Steffy had paid the price for it.

When the session with Stacey Barton began, Hope asked Brooke to stay. Brooke gave Stacey an overview of the situation. Hope added that she'd thought the Aspen trip would be her answer to everything. For Hope, it actually had been the answer, just not in the way in which she'd expected.

Hope admitted that she'd taken one of the unprescribed pills while she'd been in Aspen. She figured her mother had filled Stacey in about the online pills, and Stacey was sure she didn't need to reiterate the dangers of online medications. Hope replied that she hadn't been thinking for herself for a long time. Instead, she'd just been running from the press, her problems, and herself. Brooke said it wasn't Hope's fault, but Hope insisted that it had been.

Ready to take responsibility for her actions, Hope said she knew that she shouldn't have taken the pill or stupidly gone skiing afterward. She wondered what kind of person would do what she'd done. She was sure she wouldn't have done that to Steffy if she'd been herself. Hope wanted to be herself again, and she vowed that things would change.

Stacey was impressed with Hope and noted that the accident had been a clarifying moment. Hope declared that Steffy could have been seriously hurt due to Hope's choices. Brooke said Hope shouldn't do that to herself, but Hope insisted upon owning up to her insensitivity toward Steffy.

Hope was glad Liam had been there, and she was surprised he'd even been speaking to her after the incident. She revealed that Liam was worried about her being out of control, and he was right about her behavior. Hope figured she had to find a balance between her principles and the way she lived her life.

Stacey agreed with Hope, citing that Hope had been in conflict with herself for a long time. Glad for the change in Hope, Stacey was eager to hear what Hope planned to do about the conflict in her beliefs and her choices. Hope thought that it was right to move out of the cliff house until the divorce was final and until she and Liam were married. Stacey called it a hard, but good, decision.

Hope wasn't sure she could do it, but Stacey advised her to talk to Liam. Brooke wondered if Liam had remained in Aspen to give Hope time to think. "Or is there more to it?" Brooke asked.

In Aspen, Liam stared in disbelief at the signed annulment papers and wondered why Steffy had chosen that time to sign them. Steffy explained that things had gotten out of control, the press was on a virgin witch hunt for Hope, and Liam had been juggling a blonde and brunette, who were both crazy in Steffy's eyes. Steffy was also over all the hospital visits, so she figured that if it had to end somewhere, it should end where it had all begun.

Steffy recalled how insane it had been that the three of them had chased each other from Aspen to Mexico and back again. She stated that their marriage was over, but the memories would live on. "Thanks for the memories," she said.

Liam thought of Bob Hope. He knew that Bob Hope was an insane thing to think of at that moment, but Steffy claimed she was Bob's biggest fan. Liam begged to differ, and Steffy began to sing, Thanks for the Memories. Liam couldn't believe it, but then he joined in, too.

The pair giggled through most of the song, but they grew sullen near the end. With a sad smile, Steffy thanked Liam. "Cha, cha, cha..." he meekly uttered. She suggested that he put the papers in a safe place, because he didn't want them to blow away after it had taken her so long to sign them.

Liam walked away, and Steffy silently sobbed. Suddenly, she heard a ripping sound, and she glanced up. Liam was tearing the annulment papers into pieces. He stared tearfully at her, and she half laughed, half gasped, as he walked toward her and extended his hand. She took it, and they kissed.