Undertow

[*]Name: John Locksley
[*]Nicknames: Undertow
[*]Gender: Male
[*]Birthplace: Hometown, USA
[*]Species: Human
[*]Class: Working
[*]Birthday: July 15
[*]Occupation: Honorably Discharged Navy SEAL turned Security Officer
[*]Body Type: Bulky muscle
[*]Height: 6 feet
[*]Weight: 190 lbs
[*]Apparent Age: 25
[*]Hair: Dirty blonde, shaved short
[*]Eyes: Shockingly Blue
[*]Handedness: Right
[*]Scars/Tattoos: Scars decorate the body: few on the chest, on the face, on the arms, shoulder and leg
[*]Relationship Status: Single, not looking to date
[*]Sexual Orientation: Straight
[*]Personality: Smart-ass, know-it-all, asshole, jerk; but on the other side of that same coin: fiercely loyal, honest, great in bed
[*] Resides In: Hometown

John was just the 'boy next door' in a sleepy little town where football ruled and everyone knew each other. He grew up playing with the kids in his neighborhood, causing mischief but nothing out of the ordinary - kids were kids. Childhood turned into adolescence and John was still just the guy from the neighborhood - with a little more clout. He excelled in school, history and English being his two favorite subjects. He excelled at sports - football, baseball, track - if they let him on the team, he was leading it.

John had a beast friend growing up, Garry. He was always one step behind John. While John made straight A's with barely trying, Garry had to work to make Bs. John was naturally gifted at sports; Garry had to try harder. John wasn't the type to be arrogant about his ease at success or throw it in Garry's face. On the contrary, John always had Garry's back and supported him, helping him study and train so they could always be together. John considered Garry a brother and to John, that was sacred.

Once they got into high school, John started to take notice of the girl who had lived next to him since birth. They had grown up playing together, even through the phase when girls were gross, John always played with Olivia - maybe not when the guys were around, but any other time they had fun. Now with purity in full swing and girls not being so gross anymore, John started spending more time with Olivia. She would come over in the evenings and they would watch TV and movies together, do homework, hangout, just be together. All the time they were spending together led to other activities. Their first kiss. First make out session. First heavy petting exploration. And they lost their virginity to each other. Love blossomed sweet and pure between the two.

When they decided to make it official in school at the beginning of their Junior year, Garry all of a sudden had a problem. John had never heard Garry even mention liking Olivia in all the years they had been inseparable. Now, all of a sudden, Garry was in love with Olivia - had been for years - but had just never said anything. John talked to both Olivia and Garry about the situation, not wanting to lose friends or his new, official, girlfriend. Garry seemed to give in, saying he was "happy for the two of them," and John thought the matter was squashed.

Junior year passed and Senior year started. Olivia and John grew more and more in love with Garry never being far away. Garry dated other girls on and off and appeared to have gotten over his 'love' of Olivia. Olivia and John had started talking about their futures together. John could have gone to college to play sports, but his heart wasn't in it. He had always wanted to join the Navy, following in the footsteps of his grandfather. Olivia was going to college to become a teacher, and John couldn't have been prouder of her. They promised to wait for each other. They vowed to get married, have two children, and a dog. With graduation approaching, there was nothing to stop their future from happening exactly the way they dreamed it would - except Garry.

The night before John shipped off for basic training Garfy threw a huge party for the graduating class. John was ready to let loose as he knew it would be the last time he saw most of these people and saying goodbye was hard, especially to Garfy and Olivia - being drunk would have made it easier. Far too many drinks later, as Garry saw Olivia's car pulling up, he gave the signal. Garry had convinced one of his ex-girlfriends who had always had a thing for John, to straddle John and make out with him. So, of course, what did Olivia see when she arrived? An extremely drunk John being kissed by some girl who everyone knew had a crush on John. Being as drunk as John was, his reactions were stunted. It took him a few seconds to push her away only to turn and see Olivia. He tried to get up and go to her, but Olivia ran out of the door and to her car. By the time John was standing in the doorway, she was already down the street in her car. Garry wouldn't let John leave. Not in a car, not on foot - John was way too drunk. John went to bed then and set an alarm so he could go see Olivia before he had to leave. He needed to see her, needed to explain. He couldn't lose her!

Garry woke him the next morning in a frantic rush. John barely had enough time to get to the airport. Garry had deliberately turned off John's alarm before he had gone to bed so John would have zero time to go see Olivia. Garry rushed John to his house where John's parents waited to take him to the airport. The whole drive home John begged Garry to talk to Olivia for him. To explain he wanted nothing to do with the girl named Kristy who had ruined his whole life, and that he only wanted Olivia - she was his future. Garry promised and hugged his best friend goodbye.

John completed basic training and got stationed in South Carolina at a naval base. He studied hard and worked harder. He wrote home to his parents, Garry, and Olivia every week. He heard back from his parents and Garry but never Olivia. He never knew if it was him being pathetic or hopeful, but he never stopped writing to Olivia.

He went on a tour in a submarine for two years. He continued writing his weekly letters, but he usually mailed them in batches as there weren't always available post offices. Once he was off the sub he was given the opportunity to see if he could cut it as a Navy SEALs. It was damn near impossible, but he made it through and gained a position amongst the Frogmen. His missions came more frequently and a hundred times more dangerous. In his three years in the SEALs the world had been changed for him. He witnessed more death than he could handle and followed some of the most inhuman order ever given.

During one mission their squad was ambushed. Most of the guys died, only a handful survived. John was shot in the leg and in the shoulder. He was presumed dead and left to bleed out rather than be taken to torture. John's body was collected by chopper, and it wasn't until they were nearly back at the camp that someone noticed he was still alive. He was rushed to the medics, and they managed to save his life, though his military career was over. He spent four months in recovery and was handed a mountain of letters they hadn't been able to get to him.

While he recovered in the hospital, he read all the letters. Some were from his parents, some were from Garry, none were from Olivia. But they all said the same thing. Garry and Olivia were to be married. They were married. His parents were selling the house and moving to another state. Garry and Olivia bought their old house. John was numb. His professional life was over. His parents were gone off to a strange place he didn't know. And the girl he loved with his entire heart married his best friend.

When Olivia had never written him a single letter in all those years, he should have gotten over the dead relationship; but he hadn't. He had clung to it every night, thinking that if he gave up hope on her he would give up hope on himself.

John was diagnosed with PTSD due to things he had done and seen while in the SEALs. He suffered from night terrors and fleeting hallucinations that cause him to lose track of what was going on around him. He could be in mid-sentence and think he see something, and his brain would become overwhelmed and just stop. The doctor said this would get better with time and therapy.

When it was time for him to be honorably discharged, the head doctor suggested he go back to the last place he felt safe. That wouldn't be with his parents - he had their new address, but that town wouldn't be comforting to him. So, he wrote to Garry who was living in his childhood home, in his childhood town, with his childhood sweetheart. He doubted it would be comforting but it was a place he knew.

Gary agreed and was eager to welcome his friend back. He even jokingly wrote 'We've got your old room all fixed up for you,' - something a parent would have written to their child. Olivia's name or how she felt wasn't mentioned in the letter and John was afraid to ask.

Once John had a date he would be released from the hospital and could return home, he started applying for jobs. He had to declare his PTSD so anything in law enforcement was out. He ended up taking a position at a security company that guarded businesses. He would watch surveillance cameras, check badges, and patrol to make sure offices were locked. It sounded like a career choice a guy like him would go to die. But a job was a job. They were even nice enough to do the interview over a video call. They told him to let them know once he got into town and established and they would give him a start date.