Eliot arrived in Pine Valley and immediately started devoting his time to helping the less fortunate. Through his mission at the local church and his work at the community center, Eliot touched the lives of as many people as possible. Upon meeting the community center's director, Brooke English, Eliot reached out to her, saying that he'd wanted to meet her for some time. He tried to help Brooke find closure to the tragic loss of her daughter, an event that took place some twelve years earlier. When he was unable to help her during the initial meeting, Eliot tore off his collar and questioned his abilities as a minister.

Brooke and Eliot continued to grow closer with each passing week, something that caused great concern for Eliot's superior, Reverend Taylor. Reverend Taylor warned Eliot that he could not continue his relationship with Brooke without telling her about the secret he was keeping. Rather than reveal that secret to Brooke, Eliot decided to leave town. At around the same time, Eliot and Brooke got involved with Ricky Collins, a young boy whose father beat him on a regular basis. Brooke and Eliot were eventually awarded temporary custody while Hank Collins, a Pine Valley police officer, underwent treatment and therapy. After losing custody of his son, Hank learned from one of his fellow officers that Eliot wasn't who everything thought he was --- he was a former police officer by the name of Josh Waleski. Hank took this newfound information and broke into Brooke's house. He was about to reveal Eliot's secret when Eliot showed up and clobbered Hank. After Hank was taken away by the police, Eliot had no other choice but to reveal his true identity to Brooke --- He was the man who had killed her daughter. Initially Brooke didn't believe Eliot, but when she looked into the minister's eyes, she realized that he was the man who's taken Laura from her. Brooke was furious with Eliot and threw him out of her house. She told him that she would never forgive him and said that she hoped he'd burned in hell.

Eliot had planned to leave Pine Valley, but he felt that leaving would only add insult to injury and vowed to stay around and attempt to help Brooke find a way to rid herself of her rage. Eliot later made good by jumping into frigid waters after Laura Kirk was pushed overboard. The move helped nudge Brooke into finding it in her heart to give Eliot what he most wanted -- her forgiveness for taking her other daughter's life. Eliot transferred to Minnesota knowing that he'd finally been forgiven for what he'd done.