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Character Journal: officerhayes/officerhayes
Character Name: Graham Hayes
Age/Birthday: 27 // March 9th, 1985
Sexuality & Relationship Status: Straight // Single
Job: Police Officer
How did they find Heritage?: He grew up here. His family has been in Heritage for several generations, starting with his grandparents.
Portrayed By: Liam Hemsworth
Example Images: 1, 2, 3

Personality: Graham is a genuinely nice guy, who tries to always do what's right by people even if it's going out of his way. He has a hard time saying no to people, specially when in uniform and he feels he can be of some actual benefit. He's the cop who will climb a tree to try and get down a kitten, or who'll stay longer than necessary at a scene to comfort people who need it.

He enjoys laughter, and likes to joke around. Though he can be very serious when it is necessary, he's not the kind of officer who's too stiff and stern to be approachable. He understands that while people need protection, they also need a friendly face and he wants them to have that comfort. He became an officer for somewhat personalized reasons, but he loves the job because of the people of Heritage and the mutual respect between them.

Graham is very family oriented, and every Saturday around his work schedule he makes sure to visit his grandparents. He also visits his parents several times a week, sometimes for dinner and other times just to say hello. Family comes first, always, and he will always truly believe that.


History:

+ Graham was born and raised in Heritage, the son of John and Sidney Hayes who had also grown up in Heritage. His father ran a small lumber business and his mother stayed home, raising Graham who was an only child until the age of three when his baby sister, Lyndsey was born. Despite his initial, and very typical little boy, reaction over having a sister he grew to love Lyndsey, protecting her from neighborhood bullies as they got older and playing things like tea party with her when the other boys weren't looking. The Hayes family was a peaceful one, with a white picket fence, a dog, and dinners after church every Sunday. It wasn't until Graham was nine years old that everything completely changed.

+ During the summer of 1994, Graham's family and entire world completely changed. It was a hot day, a bit humid and sticky, and being nine years old John and Sidney allowed him to ride his bike to the public swimming area with some of his friends from the neighborhood. There were rules, of course, about being home before dusk and to stay where the life guards were, but that was not what changed his life on this particular day. It was the person who got left behind who changed everything.

That morning Graham had breakfast with his mother and Lyndsey, their father already gone to work. It was a Tuesday, he'd never forget that. Lyndsey was pouting because at only six years old, she was not allowed to ride her bike to the lake, not even with her brother. He promised her that when he got home that evening they'd build a tent fort in the living room, and this cheered her up considerably. The last time Graham Hayes ever saw his baby sister, she was smiling and waving to him from the front room window.

Sometime later that afternoon, John Hayes stopped at the lake and picked up Graham unexpectedly, several hours before he had to be home. Unsure of what was going on, they arrived to a house in chaos. Police officers were everywhere, asking questions and taking down minute details. Lyndsey's pink and white bicycles with streamers on the handlebars lay abandoned on the sidewalk, along with one solitary pink sandal.

Sidney Hayes had been in the house washing dishes, allowing Lyndsey to ride her bike in the driveway and along the sidewalk directly in front of the house. Every few minutes she'd go to the front window to check on her, not particularly worried because Heritage was a quiet and safe enough place. Only the last time she went to check, Lyndsey wasn't there. Only the bicycle overturned on the sidewalk, and that one small shoe. Most of the neighbors were at work, and only an older woman down the block saw anything remotely suspect that day. An unfamiliar vehicle had cruised the street several times that morning, and was never seen again after the girl disappeared. There was no plate number, and nothing descriptive to go on.

Lyndsey Hayes was there one moment and gone the next, and though Graham was only nine years old? He knew that day that he'd never see her again.

+ The disappearance of Lyndsey rocked the Hayes family, and while none of them were ever quite the same, it also brought them closer together. Graham made an effort to spend more time with his parents, who in turn took more interest in their son and his life. Upon entering middle school he took up playing football, which was a good way to get out his frustrations and aggression. In school he was reserved and quiet, and while he was well liked and personable when the situation demanded it, he preferred keeping to himself. He studied, he performed on the field, and he made plans for his future. Plans that included trying to make sure that what had happened to his family didn't happen to others.

+ After high school, Graham enrolled in classes at Portland State University where he studied Criminal Justice. While studying he got a part-time job as a security guard after hours in the local mall, which gave him at least some minimal field experience for later. He made decent grades, and threw himself into his studies very seriously. Despite his studious attitude he made a lot of friends and learned to let go a little, realizing that he had a life left to live, and that he needed to take advantage of that.

+ Immediately after graduating college, Graham moved onto the DPSST Academy for further training in the field. He learned in the ins and outs of policing, as well as how to keep himself physically in shape. It was hard work, and there were times when he just felt like quitting, but he didn't. It was Lyndsey that drove him to keep working hard, to want to make a difference. His reason was deep and personal, but it was the sort of thing that made him want to try his hardest and then some. He ended up graduating the academy with flying colors and finally returned home to Heritage.

+ Luck was on Graham's side when he returned to Heritage, as there was an opening on the police force. He applied and was accepted as a rookie officer, very proud to wear the uniform for his home town. Though he's serious about the work that he's doing, he also tries to put a personal touch on things. It was after returning to Heritage and finally settling into his own place, with his own job, that he had his first real adult relationship. He'd dated in high school, but college and the academy had left no time for anything serious. It lasted just over two years before the pressure of his job and commitments became to much and she left, something Graham finds himself regretting from time to time.

+ Graham is heading into his fourth year on the force, and moving out of what is to be considered his 'rookie' phase. He's become close with his fellow officers, and is still dedicated and devoted to the job. He hopes, deep down, that someday they'll know what happened to Lyndsey, but he doesn't let that control his life. He's trying to focus more on himself, outside of his career. He wants to meet someone again (or reconnect with the girl that left him), and start the process of moving further forward. While things are good, they could be better, and he wants to always be the best.


Fears: Never knowing what happened to his sister. Losing someone else close to him. Failing those who depend upon him.
Desires: To fall in love. To have a family of his own. To be advanced to a detective.

One Secret: He hopes, deep down inside, that eventually they just find Lyndsey's body. His parents still hold out hope she's alive, but he gave up on that a long, long time ago. He just wants the closure now.

Five Random Facts:
+Watches Craig Ferguson every single night. If he's on patrol, then he records it.
+Has the same doughnut and cup of coffee from the bakery every morning for breakfast.
+Broke his collarbone during a football game his junior year of high school.
+Is a remarkably good shot, and practices at a firing range at least 2-3 times a month.
+Has an affinity for BBC Programming and Radio.
+Is a History Channel junkie.
+Only recently upgraded to a smart phone. It was tough, giving up his crappy Motorola flip phone.
+Keeps Snickers bars in the glove compartment of his patrol car. He has no regrets