In Eric's office, Hope met with Carter and Ridge and was surprised they hadn't cut her budget after Thomas had gone. Carter said the topic had come up. Ridge replied that the line was in transition, and Hope had surrounded herself with a good team.
Steffy rushed in as if she was a disorganized mess. Ridge asked what was going on with her. Huffing, she complained about Deacon and said the nightmare had to end. Hope apologized for her father's behavior and decided to leave to speak to Deacon right away. Steffy told Hope to advise Deacon to stay away from Finn.
After Hope left, Carter said he was sorry Steffy and Finn were still going through it. Ridge was sure Finn and Steffy would make it. Steffy was concerned about Deacon, but Carter figured that Hope could get through to her father. Steffy checked her phone again and grunted. Ridge told her not to read anything into it, but she said she felt a bad vibe.
Charlie entered without knocking. Ridge sent Charlie out and instructed him to try it again. Charlie exited and knocked. Ridge permitted Charlie to enter, and Charlie told Ridge about a parking showdown between the head of sales and the head of accounting. Irritated that Charlie was telling him, Ridge ordered Charlie to handle it. Charlie, however, murmured that Ms. Lucas scared him. Ridge sent Carter to handle it, and Charlie and Carter exited.
Ridge assured Steffy that Finn and she would be okay. Ridge said Hope would talk to Deacon, and Steffy would never hear about Sheila again. Steffy was tired of fighting. Ridge assured his daughter that she wasn't alone, and she had him, Brooke, and Hope. "Oh, Dad, come on!" Steffy replied, noting that Hope had a soft spot for her father. Ridge hoped Hope could convince Deacon that his vision hadn't been real. Steffy said Deacon could count toes all he wanted, but Hope needed to convince him to stay away from Finn.
Ridge wished it could fix it for Steffy, but she said she could take care of herself. He was just frustrated that he couldn't help. Steffy stated that she'd taken a life, even if it hadn't been a life worth living. Ridge remarked that the only good thing Sheila had ever done had been to give birth to Finn. Steffy couldn't believe that monster was Finn's mother.
Ridge said Finn had Li and wasn't buying what Deacon was saying. Steffy reasoned that Finn did have a weird connection to Sheila. Ridge didn't get it and stated that Kelly and Hayes could have been there that night. Steffy didn't even want to think about it. She uttered that Sheila was gone for good.
At Deacon's place, Finn still marveled about Sheila being alive. Sheila said she never wanted to part from him or Deacon. Finn and Deacon assured her that they were stuck with her. Finn had always believed that if they'd just had the time, and if Sheila put in the work, they could one day have a relationship. "And when I thought you'd died...I just don't want to be apart from you, either," he concluded.
Sheila was still amazed that Deacon hadn't given up on her. He said it had never made sense that she'd go after Steffy, and then he'd seen the ten toes. Sheila replied that he'd seen them because he had wanted to stay with her until the very end. Deacon added that just the possibility of Sheila being alive had been enough for Finn to help find her.
Sheila called Deacon her hero, and Finn said she was also a hero for trying to protect his family. Sheila replied that it was her family, too. Deacon stated that Finn had to believe in the power of redemption; it wasn't enough just to believe Sheila. "You have to believe in her," Deacon asserted, and Finn affirmed that he did believe.
Finn was still in disbelief about Sheila's presence and their second chance. He stated that Sheila had offered her life to try to save his family. Sheila figured it had been devastating for them to think Steffy had killed his mother, and it had to have caused tension. Finn replied that Sheila had been dead, and it had seemed as if Steffy had been slipping away. Finn was happy that Sheila was alive and that Steffy hadn't killed her. Deacon imagined it would shock everyone that Sheila's nine toes were still tapping.
Outside the door, Hope called to Deacon. Deacon told Sheila that he wouldn't pretend she wasn't there. He kissed her hand and opened the front door. Immediately, Hope began to tell him that he couldn't keep talking about Sheila. Hope abruptly stopped speaking when she saw Sheila standing nearby. Hope froze and fainted.
Later, Deacon and Finn took Hope to the sofa and got her to wake up. Hope was disconcerted and stammering that Sheila was dead. Finn exclaimed that Deacon had been right all along, and Sheila was alive. Sheila told Hope that it was good to see her. In Hope's silence, Sheila said she wasn't a ghost, and she wasn't dead.
Deacon told Hope that his eyes hadn't been playing tricks on him when he'd seen ten toes. Hope glared at Sheila incredulously as Deacon told her what he'd learned from the text messages and from Lauren about Sugar. Finn said Sugar and Sheila had been identical except for the toes. Sheila added that, wanting revenge, Sugar had chained Sheila up in a warehouse.
Finn explained that Sugar had planned to harm Steffy and the kids but have Sheila take the fall. Hope concluded that Steffy hadn't killed Sheila. Deacon said it was all about the toes. Sheila showed her foot to Hope, and Hope saw that a middle toe was missing.
Sheila stated that she wasn't proud of what she'd done to Sugar or the mistakes Sheila had made. Sheila stated that she was a better person, and she'd changed. She'd never go after Steffy and wasn't that person anymore.
Hope still didn't seem to grasp what was going on. Finn stated that he hadn't believed it, either, until he'd seen it with his own eyes. He couldn't explain it, but he was glad they'd found Sheila. Putting his arm around Sheila, he stated that she was his birth mother, and she was alive. "My birth mother's alive," he said, and Hope stared at them incredulously.
At Deacon's place, Hope still struggled to believe what she was seeing, but Finn and Deacon assured her that it was true: Sheila was back and had actually never left them. Sheila described the period in her life with Sugar as a desperate era. Sheila said she wasn't justifying what she'd done, but Sugar had been a tortured soul even before that.
Finn said Sugar had chained Sheila up and wanted to hurt Steffy and frame Sheila. Deacon stated that Sheila was a changed woman, worthy of his and Finn's love, and it would mean the world to Deacon if Hope could start to accept it. Finn concurred.
Sheila was amazed that Finn believed in her. Taking her hand, Finn said he'd seen her work, and she'd proven it to him. She replied that all she'd wanted was to feel wanted, accepted, and loved. She'd failed her whole life, and no one had given her a chance until then. She finally had what she'd searched her entire life for.
Hope remarked that she was proud of Finn and Deacon for rescuing and helping Sheila, but Hope still had concerns. "She was a victim in all this, but are we really so convinced that she's not the same woman capable of murder?" Hope asked. Deacon asserted that Sheila had risked her life to protect Steffy and the kids from Sugar with no manipulation or evil intent. Finn added that Sheila had offered her own life in place of theirs.
Sheila stated that it was okay if Hope didn't believe it. Sheila was sure Hope would see it one day. Sheila was thankful that Finn and Deacon believed it. She asked Deacon if he'd get some fresh air with her. After being chained up, Sheila needed to see daylight and feel the fresh air. As Sheila and Deacon stood to leave, Sheila assured Hope that the men were right, and Sheila thanked Finn for believing in her.
After Sheila and Deacon had gone, Hope asked, "How? How?" Finn told her to warn him if she'd faint again. Hope couldn't imagine how he was feeling. Finn said it had been surreal, and even after learning about Sugar, it had still been hard to believe. Finn realized that things had gotten very complicated. Hope agreed but said she was happy for him. She told him that she wouldn't judge him, and she'd be there if he needed a safe place to share his feelings.
Finn confided that he felt relief and joy because Sheila hadn't tried to harm his wife. He said he had a new chance because the woman who'd given birth to him was alive. It meant a lot to Finn that Sheila had tried to protect his family. He said that it didn't mean that the past no longer mattered or that he'd forgotten what Sheila had done, but people could change and reform.
Hope replied that she'd love to wholeheartedly agree, but she was still struggling with some issues. She conceded that Deacon and Finn could be right. Finn replied that Hope had replaced the pit in his stomach about his wife killing his mother. He'd found hope that there was a way to have Sheila in his life, and he didn't want to lose that opportunity again.
For Finn's sake, Hope hoped Steffy could see his side. Finn admitted that it would be a major mind shift for Steffy, and he wasn't kidding himself. He believed that if Steffy could understand, see the reform, and get how concerned Sheila had been for Steffy, Steffy could be relieved that she hadn't killed Sheila. Finn reasoned that Steffy believed in Thomas, and life was too short. He was determined to have his birth mother in his life. He thanked Hope for listening and understanding. "I need that more than ever," he said. Hope hugged him.
On the rooftop, Sheila was grateful to breathe the fresh air again, thanks to Deacon. Deacon said it was beautiful to watch her enjoy life's simple pleasures. He was certain everyone else would come around about her eventually. He knew it hadn't seemed right that Sheila would go after Steffy, and he wished he'd acted on his instincts sooner. Sheila replied that he'd seen her face, but Deacon said he should have known it hadn't been Sheila, who'd never attack Steffy.
Deacon second-guessed himself for not demanding the police open an investigation. Sheila called him her hero, but he said she'd saved herself with her toe. She joked that everyone had said she'd been crazy for doing it. He was sure she'd keep surprising him. He called her "my wild little hurricane, blowing around, causing trouble." She asked if he liked cleaning up after her. Dropping to one knee, he said he wanted to do it for the rest of his life.
Deacon told Sheila that he hadn't needed anyone until her and her missing toe. He kissed her foot. He stated that he didn't care what anyone thought. He believed in them. He asked her to marry him.
In Eric's office, Carter and Steffy met with Liam, who rushed in late, about a deal with Spencer Publications. Before the meeting started, Liam asked if Finn had called Steffy back. Steffy replied with an irritated gaze. The meeting proceeded, and once it was over, Liam noted that she'd never answered his question. Carter offered to leave, but Steffy said he could stay.
Steffy reported that Deacon would soon stop with the crazy nonsense because Hope would shut him down. Steffy hoped it happened soon because she couldn't take hearing about Sheila's toes anymore. Liam believed that there was a good chance Deacon would listen to Hope.
Carter said that if Hope failed, someone else would try to shut Deacon up about Sheila being alive. Liam remarked that they'd all be laughing about it if Deacon's theory didn't hurt people. As Carter left, he advised them to stay positive.
Steffy asked Liam why they couldn't just forget about the dead Sheila. Steffy started to work herself up about Deacon again, but Liam tried to explain to her that it was a process. Things were phasing out. Liam affirmed that Sheila was gone for good.
Steffy thanked Liam for his support. She said she felt the best she had since before Sheila had shown up at her wedding. Steffy could finally breathe again without looking over her shoulder or hiring guards. She and Finn were finally free of Sheila.
On the rooftop at Deacon's restaurant, Deacon proposed marriage to Sheila. He admitted that he'd previously thought he couldn't get married without his daughter's approval, but he'd realized Sheila deserved better than that. He planned to give her the world. "I want this! I want you!" he asserted. Sheila said he made it hard to decline.
Deacon urged the reluctant Sheila to keep the miracles coming. Sheila told him that she trusted him, but she couldn't live her life hiding their relationship. He ordered her to forget about that because there would be no more keeping secrets. He was proud of her and proud of being the misfit couple of Bel Air. He said he'd post it on social media and shout it from the rooftops.
Deacon began yelling to the world that he wanted to marry Sheila Carter. Sheila said she got it. "I say yes! I say yes! Of course I'm going to marry you!" she answered, and they kissed. Sheila marveled about what a difference a day made. "You got that right, Mrs. Sharpe," he replied, and she said that she liked the sound of that.
Sheila couldn't get enough of the moment. She'd been afraid she'd never see Deacon again. He said he'd had to throw her a funeral, but he'd sensed that she'd been out there somewhere. He hadn't been sure he could find her in time or what condition she'd be in, but there they were, engaged to be husband and wife. "For better or worse," he said, and they shook pinkies.
Sheila said she had thought she'd die in that warehouse, unable to stop Sugar, but the thought of Deacon had kept her going. Sheila said he'd always been by her side. Deacon stated that he always would be, and she also had Finn. Sheila uttered that she'd wanted Finn's love for a long time. "I have my people. I finally have a family," she stated. She said Deacon and Finn accepted her with all her flaws, and it was all she'd wanted. She no longer felt alone. She had hands to hold and shoulders to lean on. "You saved me. You and my son saved me," Sheila stated.
At Deacon's loft, Finn thanked Hope for her support. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling. He said he'd been in mourning but had a chance with his mother. Hope didn't want to dampen his excitement, but she had to advise him that Steffy wouldn't feel the same way.
Finn admitted that Sheila had done a million awful things, but he didn't want to spend his life hating her and punishing her. He said they had a connection. Hope asked how he thought Steffy would react when he revealed that Sheila was alive.
Later, Hope and Finn talked about Deacon's detective skills. Finn said Deacon was a legitimate hero for saving Sheila. Finn was bracing himself because he knew there would be a lot of unhappy people. "Namely, your wife," Hope replied. He hoped Steffy would get that Sheila had offered her life to save Steffy and the kids and be relieved that she hadn't killed his birth mother.
Hope hoped Steffy would be grateful about the last part. Finn realized that it wouldn't be easy, but he hoped he'd get Steffy to understand and support his need to have his mom in his life. He stated that he saved lives, giving people second chances, and he believed in the power of the body and mind to heal and grow. He said it was time to put the past behind them.
For Finn, Sheila had reformed, and offering her life to defend his family had said it all. Hope remarked that it was all pretty incredible, and she hoped Steffy could see his perspective. Finn thanked Hope for pulling for him. He thanked her for hearing him and not thinking he was nuts.
Hope claimed she'd never think that about Finn. He asked if she felt okay after fainting. She said he'd taken good care of her. As he prepared to go home to see his wife, he hugged Hope. He said it would all work out. For his sake, Hope hoped so.
In Eric's office, Liam and Steffy laughed about memories of Kelly. Not knowing what she'd do without him, Steffy thanked Liam for taking her mind off Sheila. Liam told Steffy that Sheila couldn't hurt her and didn't have power over her. "Or Finn," Steffy added. Steffy reasoned that she and Finn could finally focus on other things. She didn't get Finn's tie to Sheila, but she saw him moving on and leaving Sheila in the past.
Steffy remarked that Finn could finally put his family first, despite Deacon's delusions. She was certain that Finn wouldn't put her or the children at risk. Liam figured it was a good feeling. She thanked him for letting her vent. She decided that she was on her way to see Finn, and the night would be all about reconnecting.
Later, Steffy and Liam had gone. Hope was at the table, trying to work, but she was still in shock about Sheila. Hope flashed back to her conversation with Finn about Steffy's possible reaction to the news. Hope said aloud that she hoped Steffy didn't disappoint him.
At the cliff house, Steffy poured wine as Finn finally texted her that he couldn't wait to see her. Finn arrived, and she let him know that the kids were with Li. He declined wine, saying he was a little fired up. Steffy said she hadn't talked to him all day, and he replied that his day had been "next level." She assumed he'd saved a life, and the amped Finn said he'd definitely done that.
Steffy repeated Finn's motto that no one was a lost cause. Finn agreed, adding that he believed in people's potential to grow, learn from their mistakes, and lead happy lives. Steffy loved how compassionate he was. Finn kissed Steffy, and she was awed by how completely different he was from that morning.
Finn stated that his life had shifted in the most unbelievable way. He said he hadn't believed it, and Steffy probably wouldn't, either. "But it's amazing. It's truly amazing!" he beamed.
In Eric's office, Hope looked at an online article about Sheila's death. Ridge and Liam arrived and noticed that Hope seemed disconcerted. Liam asked if she had been unable to talk Deacon out of his nonsense. "Except it's not nonsense, Liam. My dad isn't crazy. He's right. Sheila is alive," Hope responded, and Ridge frowned scornfully.
Ridge yelled at Hope, assuming she was doing the same thing as Deacon. Ridge said Hope had been sent to talk Deacon out of it. Ridge asserted that his daughter had put a knife in Sheila, and Sheila was dead. Hope told Ridge that she'd seen Sheila herself.
Later, Ridge said he'd heard the "stories" about Sugar, but Sugar wasn't part of that story. Hope persisted, telling Liam and Ridge that she'd been ready to dig in her heels to convince Deacon to give it up about Sheila, but then Hope had seen Sheila standing there in the flesh. Hope had passed out, but when she'd awakened, Sheila had still been there. Hope had even spoken with Sheila. Hope knew it was beyond belief, but Sheila was alive, whether they liked it or not.
Hope stated that she'd have a hard time believing it, too, if she hadn't seen it for herself. She affirmed that Sugar had been the one at Steffy's that night. Ridge asked if Hope was saying that Sugar had gone up in flames at the crematorium, not Sheila. Hope said that they'd all been relieved to get on with their lives, but "now to find that Sheila is a victim in all of this..." "Sheila was a victim? Is that what you just said?" Ridge asked.
Later, Ridge summarized that Sugar had kidnapped Sheila and chained her up in a warehouse. Hope said Sugar had planned to start a crime spree with the face of Sheila, starting with Steffy and the kids. Liam surmised that Sugar was just as insane as Sheila. Ridge asked if Hope heard how farfetched it was. Hope insisted that it was true: "Sheila Carter lives on."
At the cliff house, Steffy noted that she hadn't seen Finn that excited in a long time. "You won't believe it!" he beamed back. He stated that it all began with Sugar. Steffy looked confused, and Finn explained that Sugar was a person. Steffy had no idea what Finn was talking about.
Sitting Steffy down, Finn explained that the unfathomable had happened, and it would be hard for her to believe. It had been hard for him, too, but it was real. Finn explained that Sugar was a woman who looked exactly like Sheila. Steffy began to stammer, wondering what Sugar had to do with Sheila. "Everything, Steff. Everything," Finn responded.
Finn explained that Sugar looked so much like Sheila, it would be impossible to tell them apart. Finn had seen the photos and thought they could be twins. He said Lauren had told Deacon that Sheila had tricked Sugar into the plastic surgery so that Sugar would take the fall for Sheila's crimes, and Sugar had wound up in a mental ward. Steffy asked why he was bringing it up.
Finn stated that the only difference between Sugar and Sheila was that Sugar had all of her toes. Because Deacon had thought Sugar had had it out for Sheila, Finn and Deacon had tracked her down through credit cards to an old, abandoned warehouse. "You found Sugar?" Steffy asked.
"Sheila. We found Sheila," Finn replied. Steffy asked what Finn was talking about and asserted that Sheila had died "right there." Finn knew it was what they'd thought. Steffy assumed Deacon had gotten into Finn's head. Finn insisted that Sugar had been the one in the crematorium. Finn told Steffy that it meant she hadn't killed his birth mother. "My birth mother is alive!" he exclaimed.
At Deacon's place, Deacon proposed that he and Sheila make it official that night in Vegas. For him, the sooner the better. Sheila tried to pretend she had second thoughts, but she laughed as she said it. "Knife to the heart!" he exclaimed, knifing himself and falling on the couch.
Deacon said he'd been torn up inside when he'd lost Sheila, and he couldn't lose her again. Sheila promised she wasn't going anywhere, since she had that big diamond ring on her finger. She held up her bare hand and pretended to flash a big diamond. He promised he'd get her the ring he owed her, but she said she owed him and wouldn't be there without him.
Sheila kissed Deacon and felt dizzy. She claimed it was the kiss, but he told her that they were going to the hospital. He got Sheila some water, and she told him that she'd be fine. He reminded her that she'd spent weeks in a warehouse with little food and water, and he didn't want to play around with her health. He begged her to see a doctor for his sake because it would kill him if something happened to her.
Sheila promised that nothing would happen, but Deacon enticed her, saying after her doctor's visit, they could play doctor at home. After he put it that way, she agreed to go.
At the hospital later, Sheila was in her own room, laughing as Deacon blew a plastic glove up like a balloon. He went to retrieve his cell phone from the car, and the nurse asked how long Sheila and Deacon had been engaged. Sheila revealed that it had been a few hours, and the nurse figured it might be why Sheila felt faint. Sheila said they'd been engaged before, but that time, it would be different. Everything would be different.
Sheila heard Li in the corridor. Grinning to herself, Sheila asked if Li could be her doctor. The nurse went into the corridor and told Li a patient who was dehydrated and malnourished had requested to see her. Li blanched when the nurse said the patient was named Sheila.
Sheila grinned to herself, listening as Li composed herself, admitting that the name Sheila had once sent a shiver down her spine. The nurse offered to get another doctor, but Li agreed to see Sheila. As Li entered the room, Sheila pulled her covers over her head.
Li told the cloaked patient that she usually didn't take new patients, but she'd heard that the patient had asked to for her. Sheila was silent as Li inquired about her symptoms. "Are you okay, ma'am?" Li asked. Sheila stifled her laughs, and Li asked her to pull the sheet down.
Sheila pulled the covers off her foot, and Li shrank back. "Your toe," she uttered. She asked if the patient was there for her to examine the missing toe. In Sheila's silence, Li demanded that the patient show her face. Sheila continued smiling beneath the sheet.
At Forrester Creations, Liam and Ridge were floored by Hope's declaration that Sheila was alive and that Deacon had been right all along. Ridge argued that it was "farfetched" to think that Sheila was not the person that Steffy had stabbed. While Ridge vented his frustration, Liam looked up Janet Webber on the Internet. Hope explained that she'd had a similar reaction to seeing Sheila alive and well with her own eyes.
Liam believed Hope's story, but Ridge was convinced that the situation was somehow another of Sheila's schemes. Hope filled in additional details, including how Deacon and Finn had found Sheila chained up in an abandoned building. Hope used the word "relief" to describe how Finn thought Steffy would take the news of Sheila being alive. "I don't think this word relief means what you think it means," Ridge yelled.
Ridge was unhappy about Finn's decision to welcome Sheila back into his life. Liam concurred and said that it would be impossible for anyone to relax with Sheila alive. Both men were unmoved by Hope's claim that Sheila had tried to stop Sugar from harming Steffy.
At the hospital, Li looked at the still-unknown patient's toes and swallowed hard. She asked why the patient had a sheet over their face. There was no response, but under the sheet, Sheila did her best to stifle her laughter. "I knew someone named Sheila. She had a missing toe, too," Li said calmly. Li demanded that the patient reveal themselves.
When the patient didn't comply, Li yanked the sheet off. Li screamed in horror as she saw Sheila Carter's face. Sheila mocked Li by feigning a scream of her own. As Li recoiled in horror, Sheila chuckled to herself. "This can't be. You can't be," Li gasped. Sheila's amusement turned to iciness. "You would have liked to see me dead and gone," Sheila snarled.
Li questioned how Sheila wasn't dead. Sheila replied that it wasn't "dumb luck or fate" but Finn that had saved her. "My wonderful son is the reason that I am here," Sheila said as she smiled. Li argued that Sheila was "nothing" to Finn. Sheila strongly disagreed. "He is happy to have me back in his life, and he never wants to be apart from me again," Sheila stated. Li began to sob when Sheila said that Finn had called her "Mom." That sadness turned to rage as Li lunged at Sheila.
Deacon arrived moments later and tore Li away from Sheila. A nurse entered the room and helped restrain Li. Sheila put her hand up to her forehead and announced that she'd like to see another doctor because "Dr. Finnegan's bedside manner [was] a bit harsh" for her. Li screamed several times that she would kill Sheila.
Later, the nurse gave Sheila some fluids intravenously. When the nurse stepped out of the room, a grinning Deacon scolded Sheila for playing a "not very nice" prank on Li. Sheila claimed the prank had been "harmless," and she began to laugh. Deacon warned Sheila that there would be a lot of interesting reactions once the world learned that Sheila Carter was "back from the dead once again."
At the cliff house, Steffy scowled as Finn explained the "enormous surprise" that had led to Sheila being found alive. Finn calmly explained that Steffy had not stabbed Sheila -- she's stabbed a look-alike name Sugar. Steffy plopped down on the sofa and asked Finn if he was hearing what he was saying. Finn admitted that his story seemed unbelievable -- plastic surgery, doppelgängers, and revenge plots. He even confessed that he would not have believed it, either, if he hadn't seen Sheila with his own eyes.
"You think you saw Sheila," Steffy replied, reminding Finn that he'd also had a nightmare about Sheila being alive. When Finn referred to Sheila as his mother, Steffy corrected him and stated that Li was his mother. Steffy got another shock when Finn said that he was "thankful" that Sheila was alive. Finn tried to explain that Sheila being alive was a good thing -- because it meant that Steffy could be freed of all of the feelings she'd had about taking Sheila's life.
It was in that moment that Steffy seemed to suddenly realize that Finn wasn't delusional. She exhaled deeply. "Deacon was right? Is this real right now?" she asked. Steffy turned away from her husband and said, "Sheila's alive."
