<P> Eric returns to Salem in November 2012 as a priest at St. Luke's church . Eric hires Nicole to work as the secretary at the church . Eric opens up to Nicole about the violence he experienced while working as a photographer in the Congo . Eric is wary of Nicole's lingering feelings for him, and also harbors some feelings for her . Eric reluctantly begins working with Kristen DiMera (Eileen Davidson) on his new school project for the community . He disapproves of Kristen's romance with his step - brother, Brady Black (Eric Martsolf), and by the time he is able to get past his reservations and agrees to counsel them before their wedding, Eric uncovers repressed memories of Kristen drugging and raping him . He then is kidnapped by Stefano DiMera with Nicole, in an attempt to cover up for his daughter . Waiting together for their deaths, Nicole confesses that she still loves Eric and Eric, although he is astonished, also confesses that he still loves her . They are amazingly saved and brought to the hospital . After being released, he talks to Nicole and tells her that to get back his priesthood, which had been stripped after the wedding fiasco, he has to go on sabbatical . Nicole is shocked and hurt, especially when she remembers him telling her that he loves her . But he continues by saying that the real reason to go on sabbatical is to see if he can be the husband to Nicole that she deserves . He then leaves Salem . With the proof now resurfaced, the Vatican agrees to hear Eric's case about being reinstated to the priesthood . Nicole even travels to Rome to testify that she kept the proof from Eric for selfish reasons . Moved by her testimony and the proof, the bishop offers Eric admission back into the priesthood . But, still troubled by his inability to forgive Nicole, Eric turns it down . He returns to Salem and works as a photographer for the PR department at University Hospital . </P> <P> He spends months fighting with Nicole, who keeps pleading with him to try to forgive her . But he can't . He finally finds a distraction when his ex-girlfriend, Serena Mason, comes to Salem in the winter of 2014 to do medical research for a story that she is working on . (Eric and Serena met in Africa, while she was there on a story assignment, and they fell in love . Serena did not stand in Eric's way when he felt drawn to the priesthood, but as soon as she heard that Eric had left the priesthood, she wanted to see if there was another chance for them). Eric is happy to see her when she arrives in Salem . </P> <P> Their relationship moves quickly . But Serena is also in town for other motives . She has orders to retrieve a piece of artwork that Eric acquired when the two of them were in Africa, that contains smuggled diamonds . Eric's relationship with Serena is bothersome to Nicole and she tries and fails several times to break it up . Eric later breaks up with Serena after discovering that she slept with her boss, Xander Cook . Later, Eric and Nicole are locked in the basement of the news station by Xander . Facing death, Eric and Nicole share a tender moment, and they realize they still have feelings for each other . But Nicole is engaged to Daniel Jonas, and when Eric and Nicole escape the basement, Nicole breaks things off with Eric, leaving him devastated . In August 2015, Eric finds Serena strangled to death in the park (she is the first victim of the Necktie Killer). Eric begins to drink . In January 2016, while driving drunk, he causes a car accident injuring himself, Brady and Jennifer Horton and killing his best friend Daniel Jonas . In April 2016, Eric is sentenced to five years in prison for vehicular manslaughter . </P> <P> Eric is released for good behavior and makes his way back to Salem, now sober . However, no one is willing to forgive him especially not Nicole, as he killed her fiancé . When Nicole goes through her baby troubles, Eric tries to become a shoulder for her to lean on . However, she still doesn't find that acceptable . When Nicole is kidnapped by Xander, on the orders of Deimos Kiriakis, Eric hatches a plan to save her with Brady . Eric saves Nicole but she still denies him forgiveness . </P>

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