Nicole's possible storylines without Eric on Days of our Lives
Credit: Image: Jill Johnson/JPI

Will it be back to the dark side, stepping out or teaming up with a frenemy for Nicole?

After decades of drama, Days of our Lives’ Eric and Nicole finally got married this year. Unfortunately, they’re already separated as the former priest left town to do good works in Africa while his missus stays behind in Salem. Where does that leave Nicole story-wise? Since Sami agreed to let her have custody of Allie’s son, it seems she’ll have her hands full, what with raising him and her own daughter, Holly, while also playing mother figure to Allie, who is moving in with her. But that doesn’t mean that she can’t multitask. That being the case, we’ve come up with a few other scenarios that could keep her busy while the hubby’s away.

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To Hell With Being Good!

Nicole has come a long way from the baby-stealing manipulator that she used to be, but something could trigger her, resulting in a return to her wicked ways. One inciting incident could be Eric’s death. Now, we know Days of our Lives never really offs anyone for good, but should Nicole’s husband be “killed” off screen, or should he tell her that he wants a divorce, it could send her into a downward spiral, the kind that leaves her rejecting any impulse to behave. Her sole focus might be on ensuring the children’s future so she could look for dollar signs. If so, Victor would be our first guess as to where her gaze would land. But since Bonnie didn’t have much luck blackmailing her way into Maggie’s role, we can’t imagine Nicole would, either. Maybe she’d set her sights on Philip, seeing as he is the only living child of Victor’s, and she could try and hasten Ol’ Moneybags’ demise to get her hands on the inheritance. John is acting out and also well-off; could he and Nicole form some sort of evil alliance? There’s always Jan and Xander available to team up with, too, should Nicole decide to revert to her bad-girl ways.

Let’s Be Lonely… Together!

Another possible scenario has Nicole feeling lonely in her husband’s absence. Perhaps she heads out for drinks one night and ends up connecting with an intriguing new stranger in town. Or she could start commiserating with an ex, say, Lucas, over how lonely they both are. They start bonding, maybe over Allie’s baby, and one thing leads to another. Rafe’s on his way back to Salem and will discover that Hope is no longer a romantic possibility (considering that Kristian Alfonso has exited Days), so he’ll be single, too. Or maybe Philip could be her source of comfort instead of her mark.

That’s Mrs. Behaving, Not Miss Behaving

Of course, Nicole doesn’t have to stray or go to the dark side at all. There is the option that she’ll remain on the straight and narrow, fundraising for Eric’s cause, building her own empire and getting involved in Allie’s drama, which should be coming down the pike regarding her baby’s father. A halo-clad Nicole could perform other good deeds in Salem, too, until her husband is either recast or Greg Vaughan decides to return, following in the footsteps of his many exiting and returning Days co-stars.

Nicole Vs. Sami, Round 713

With Alison Sweeney staying on as Sami for an extended period (following her imminent exit), Nicole could continue her nasty war with her nemesis. Perhaps they’ll recast EJ, and Nicole can worm her way back into her ex’s life to manipulate him against Sami. Or the women could continue to fight over Allie and her baby as Nicole remains close to her niece, who in turn remains cold toward her mother.

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Should We… Give Peace a Chance?

Perhaps the most shocking scenario for Nicole would be one in which she called a truce with Sami on behalf of someone they both care about, be it Allie and the baby or maybe Lucas or EJ. Or Eric goes missing, and they have to team up to find him. In any case, there are many avenues for Nicole to go down in the wake of her husband’s exit. What do you want to see for her now that she’ll be on her own? Tell us below and then look through the photo gallery of the men who could take Eric’s place.

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