The hot, smoky air clung to Bode's skin as he hurried through the chaos surrounding the helicopter crash site. Flames licked at the debris, and the distant cries of firefighters and paramedics filled the air. Still in his suit, Bode moved quickly, focused, but his thoughts were scattered—Gabriella's wedding, the church, the crash. His heart still ached from watching her at the altar with Diego. That was, until the explosion rocked the entire scene, turning the day upside down.

As Bode turned a corner near the wreckage, he heard a soft voice call out.

"Hello! Young man! Over here, under this mess!"

He followed the voice and found an elderly woman, trapped under a large section of fallen debris. Her bright green eyes sparkled even as she grimaced in pain. Her braided silver hair was in disarray, but there was something almost serene about her demeanour despite her situation. With her large silver earrings and colourful scarves, she looked like someone's sweet, but quirky grandmother, the kind who might offer you a cookie while reading your tea leaves.

Bode crouched down beside her, assessing the situation. She was pinned under a metal beam, unable to move, but conscious and alert.

"Ma'am, are you alright? I'll get someone to—"

"Ah, no need for that panic, dear. I'm not hurt... I'm just stuck under a bit of debris," she replied, her voice tinged with amusement. "Name's Ruby, by the way. Ruby Cobblestone."

"Bode," he said, flashing her a reassuring smile. "I'm going to stay with you until we get some equipment to lift this off. Just hang in there."

"Not going anywhere, sweetie," Ruby quipped with a wink. "So, while we're waiting—tell me, what's a strong, handsome young man like you doing at a wedding instead of being the groom?"

Bode huffed out a breath, kneeling next to her. "Long story. It's complicated."

"Oh, I love complicated stories. I've got plenty of time, remember?" she said, pointing to the beam still holding her down. Despite her situation, she seemed completely unfazed. It was almost like she was enjoying the chance to chat.

Bode glanced over at the equipment being prepared to free her and then settled back. "It's more like... a bunch of bad choices, to be honest."

"Ah, choices. The building blocks of regret." Ruby raised an eyebrow, watching him carefully. "I happen to be a psychic, you know. I can feel you're carrying something heavy on your heart."

Bode chuckled, shaking his head. "You're good. I'm carrying a lot, that's for sure."

Ruby tilted her head, intrigued. "If you could change one decision, just one—what would it be?"

Bode looked at her, surprised by the question, but something about Ruby's curious gaze made him pause. There was a warmth in her presence that put him at ease. He rubbed the back of his neck, his brow furrowed as he thought about it.

"Honestly?" he said, sighing. "I wish I hadn't pushed Gabriella away when I got sent back to Lompoc. I thought I was protecting her, but... I just ended up breaking both our hearts."

Ruby's eyes twinkled as if she'd been waiting for that answer. "Ah, love, the trickiest choice of them all," she said, her voice soft. "But it's never too late, you know?"

Before Bode could respond, there was a strange shift in the air, almost imperceptible at first. Then, suddenly, the world seemed to spin. It wasn't just the heat or the chaos around them—Bode felt like the ground had been ripped from under him. His stomach lurched, and his body felt weightless, as if he'd been caught in an explosion. A moment of blinding light engulfed him, and he was soaring—floating as if gravity no longer applied.

And then, just as quickly as it started, it stopped.

Bode gasped, his chest heaving, but when he opened his eyes, the world around him had changed. The smoky air and wreckage were gone, replaced by the stale scent of old concrete and the low hum of flickering lights.

He wasn't at the crash site anymore.

He was back in Lompoc. Back in prison.

Bode's pulse raced as he sat up on the cold, hard cot, his eyes darting around the room. His heart pounded in his chest as he took in the bleak walls, the bars across the small window. The familiar sounds of the prison filled his ears—distant voices, the clanging of metal doors. His stomach twisted.

This couldn't be real. How was he back here?

His mind raced, replaying what had just happened with Ruby. The crash. The fire. The conversation about Gabriella. And then… the strange sensation, the spinning, the fall.

Bode jumped off the cot, running his hands through his hair. His heart was still racing as he tried to piece everything together.

"What the hell?" he muttered under his breath.

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached his cell, and the guard appeared, tapping his baton against the bars.

"Hey, Leone. You've got a visitor," the guard said with a smirk. "Come on."

Bode's heart skipped a beat. A visitor? Here? Now? Wait... When is now, anyway?

He followed the guard through the familiar corridors, his mind still spinning with confusion. This had to be some kind of dream, some twisted nightmare. But everything felt so real—the cold, the sounds, the weight of being back in prison.

"What's the date today?" Bode asked the guard as they walked. The guard turned, raised a questioning eyebrow, then reluctantly told him the date. Bode was in the present. This was Gabriella's wedding day.

The guard led him to the visitation room, and Bode hesitated at the door, taking a deep breath before stepping inside.

When he entered, his heart nearly stopped.

Sitting on the other side of the glass was Gabriella.

She was still beautiful, her dark hair framing her face, but something was different, something that tore at his heart the moment he noticed it: a long scar traced a jagged path from her temple to her chin, a reminder of violence that Bode knew too well.

All at once, new memories came flooding in. He hadn't pushed her away after his disastrous parole hearing. In this version of his life, he had kept her close, and it had cost her. The scar was a consequence of her connection to him, a mark left by a member of Sleeper's crew on the outside—a crew that had sought revenge after Bode had crossed them inside. Bode had always known that Sleeper targeted those closest to his enemies to make them pay, but seeing it was a whole different thing.

His eyes fell to the table, and guilt gnawed at his insides. "I did this to you," he muttered under his breath.

Gabriella shifted in her seat, her soft voice breaking the silence. "Bode, don't. You didn't hurt me. I knew the risks when I chose to stand by your side."

He shook his head, the guilt too much to bear. "No, you didn't deserve this." His voice was thick with regret. "I tried to protect you by pushing you away, but keeping you close was worse. You got hurt because of me... because of the mess my life became."

She placed a hand on the table, the faintest of smiles tugging at her lips. "I made my own choices, Bode. But..." her voice faltered, "it hasn't been easy."

Bode swallowed hard, flashes of the past—this altered version of the past—playing in his mind. He remembered what he had done next. Sleeper had come for Gabriella, and Bode had sought vengeance. The rage had consumed him, and in a fight that left his knuckles bloodied and his left hand broken, he had killed Sleeper in a blind fury. He didn't even remember the killing blow; all he recalled was his rage.

That act had won him five more years in Lompoc and no hope of ever getting back to Three Rock. Five more years of a life he could never claw his way out of.

He leaned back, his heart sinking as he realized the twisted irony of it all. He had wanted to hold onto Gabriella, to protect her from the pain of his absence. But instead, he'd dragged her into the storm. And now, as they sat across from each other in this bleak room, Bode finally understood—this future wasn't better. It was worse.

"You need to forget me Gabriella," Bode said hoarsely. "All there is here for you is pain." He gestured around, the walls of the prison feeling even more confining. "I won't let you keep waiting for me... not for another five years."

For the first time in a long while, Bode felt truly lost. The life he'd wished for had come crashing down in front of him, and he was left holding the shattered pieces. He thought about Ruby, the eccentric psychic, and how she'd asked him which decision he regretted. Now, sitting across from Gabriella, he realized if anything was going to change he needed to go further back... the decision he needed to change was a different one... he needed to make sure that he didn't go back to prison at all.

Just then, he heard Ruby's voice in his head. "If you could change one decision, just one—what would it be?"

"I wouldn't have robbed that liquor store," Bode whispered.