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Matt couldn't figure out what he missed more about his wife. Was it the way she would run around their home in hysterics after a good joke? Or was it the way her mouth hung open slightly as she softly snored? Then again he did love her temper. It matched his perfectly causing many heated arguments between the two of them that ultimately led to both of them plotting how to kill the other and not get caught. But that was their thing fight all day and have phenomenal make-up sex all night long. He sighed as he put his arm under his head looking up at the ceiling. Sure they all were separated from their loved ones, but being without Isabelle was slowly killing him.

The nights were the worst part. He didn't have her warm body beside his as he slept. All he had now was a cold pillow to hold and that didn't satisfy his desire. He tried to will himself to sleep most nights – at most he got two or three hours. So he filled his mornings with as much coffee as he could get his hands on. He lived off of the weak substance that was provided for him which only made him yearn more for Isabelle and her cooking. He pulled the photograph that he kept of her out of his pocket.

His fingers slid over the old photograph he took of her as she slept. If she had seen the flash he was sure that she would have killed him on the spot, but he wanted to catch her at her most beautiful moment. Her mouth hung open slightly as she clutched the pillow under her face. Her brow furrowing slightly as she began to mumble. God, he missed that sound. She hated when she would talk in her sleep, but he found it adorable. She gave Matt a soft side that he really didn't know he had. He was so used to being angry all the time that for the first few months of their relationship he didn't know how to respond to the warmth that had stepped into his life. Now that it was gone he was like an addict going through withdrawals.

“Sanders! You have a video chat!”

Matt rose and walked over to the computer sitting down in the chair before finally laying his eyes on Izzy's beautiful face. His face ached as he finally let go of the scowl that had been permanently plastered on his face since they last talked to one another. She was sporting the same dead stare that she had the last time they talked. She had lost the vibrant gleam in her eye that made her normal green eyes sparkle. They were now dark and cold. He looked at his wife's set of dog tags that were around her neck. She had only worn two tags her entire service – hers and her brother's. Today she was wearing an extra tag. He didn't bother asking about it – he knew that another person in her platoon had just succumbed to the realities of war.

“Hey, beautiful!”

“Hello to you too,” she said with a slight smile, “How are you doing?”

Matt shrugged his shoulders as he took a bite out of a Pop-Tart that he had left behind. He didn't want to tell her about how he had been doing. It would only make her worry about him and he needed her to keep focused on making it out of Afghanistan alive. Not only for him, but for the future that they had been planning since she joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Matt hoped that after her first two tours that they would begin to have a family, but Izzy wanted to go for another tour. She wanted to do it to honor the people she lost out in the battlefield and he could understand that.

“I'm okay,” he muttered as he chewed on the stale pastry.

“Lies. You look worse than when you shot the 'Nightmare' video. Tell me what's up,” she pressed.

Matt shook his head, “Tell me what's going on with you. How are you doing?”

Isabelle sighed, “I'm fine. Sergeant Cavanaugh almost took my gun away, but he took pity on me and let me keep it.”

“What happened?”

“Don't laugh,” she said sternly, “I had morning patrol and I must have been a little bit loopy because I shot at a crate that fell over. I thought it was a Camel spider.”

“You know those aren't real, right?” he asked as he tried to hold in his laughter. He knew that Izzy had a deep fear of spiders that went back to her childhood. She had tried to kill a spider once and somehow when she went to kill it the spider fell onto her hand. Ever since then spiders were her nemesis.

“I miss you,” she finally said.

“I miss you too babe,” said Matt as he stroked the computer screen with his fingers, “I wish you were here tonight. It won't be the same without you.”

“I know, but it won't be too much longer.”

“Come on man time to go,” said Zacky as he stuck his head into the room.

“Kick ass tonight,” she said as she blew a kiss before logging off.

Matt sighed and pushed the photograph back into his pocket. It was time for him to get his head in the game. People were counting on Matt to be one-hundred percent he couldn't go out there without being on top of his game. Matt was already in the process of wanting to cancel the entire show, but he couldn't do that to the kids. They were looking forward to this new album and he wanted everything to be perfect. He just wished that Izzy was going to be there. She was always here for the first show of every tour. Matt could hear the kids chanting for them and he could feel that pit of nervousness forming in my stomach.

Isabelle logged off the video chat screen and sighed as the Berry brothers pulled away the tarp that they had put up behind her to give the illusion that she was still in her barracks. She had flown in yesterday so that she could surprise Matt for the show. She had missed his birthday and their anniversary for the past two years. She couldn't let him start a new tour without her too. She felt her heart flutter as she heard Matt begin to sing their opening number. His voice sounded so rugged and raw she had to control herself from running out there and ruining the surprise.

“Okay all you motherfuckers. I'm just fucking glad that I'm performing in the best country in the damn world. The United States of America. Tonight we all have brothers, sisters, husbands, and...wives out there fighting,” said Matt as he propped up on the ego riser, “This next song is for them. Here's Gunslinger.”

Brian and Zacky started playing the familiar riff to the song and just as Matt began to sing he heard Isabelle's angelic voice. Matt looked confused and looked to the prompter. Izzy smiled wide as Matt watched the recording she made for him earlier. At the time she wasn't supposed to be home in time for the kickoff of the tour, but two weeks ago she was informed that she was going home. This time for good. She told her Sergeant that she didn't want to re-enlist for another tour. It was time for her to fulfill her other dream – being a mom. She watched as Matt wiped his eyes as the video faded out.

Matt turned back to the crowd getting ready to start the song when he saw Izzy. He dropped his mic and picked her up into his arms as he kissed her. He looked into her eyes and saw the perfect glint that he fell in love with so long ago. Isabelle felt as though her body was going to be crushed under the bear hug that Matt was giving her, but she didn't mind. After two long years she dreamt of this very moment – the moment she was home.