A/N: Just take this for what it is. It's sort of AU/retconned to work here. Just consider this one possible explanation for some of Izzy's craziness.
Camp Wawanakwa: The sun slowly began creeping up from behind the horizon as Chris MacClean made his walk across the dock of shame as he gave his recap of the previous episode's events.
"Now stayed tune for…," he began when a mass of bodies clustered around him on the dock. It was the rest of the contestants who hadn't been voted off.
"Dude, give it a rest," pleaded Trent. "We're tired of you constantly saying how this'll be the most 'exciting marshmallow segment ever'. It's getting old."
"Give us a day off for a change," Gwen chipped in. "None of us are getting enough sleep, especially after that 'stay awake for as long as you can' challenge."
Heather approached from behind Gwen. "Yeah, not enough sleep can cause untold damage on your physical appearance as Gwen-y here is living proof of."
Flames erupted behind Gwen's eyes but before she could speak, Lindsay spoke up.
"Day off?" she asked confused. "Is that a like a dance off? Because I'm too tired for that."
Groans erupted from the rest of the campers. Except for Izzy, who was chasing a moth around the dock trying to catch it in her mouth.
"At least let us call home!" demanded LeShawna. "If I don't talk to someone with an ounce of sense, those girls are gonna drive me crazy!"
"Yeah!" came the enthusiastic response from the others, save for Izzy who had suddenly stopped chasing the moth and would've appeared crestfallen at that statement, if anyone had been keeping an eye on her that was. Everyone but one oversized camper.
"Well I'm not supposed to," said Chris uncertain. "What's in it for me?"
Duncan got close enough to Chris until they were face to face.
"You either do it, or I'm gonna cram all those marshmellows down your throat!" he growled. Chris backed up briefly at that before finally nodding his head.
"Fine, I'll give you the day off so you can call home if you want," he relented. "Let's go boys I didn't get a chance to finish my continental breakfast yet."
Chris left with most of the camera crew in tow as the campers looked around genuinely pleased with themselves.
"Thanks Duncan for helping him see the light," said Courtney clinging to the bad boy's right arm as the group headed back for the campsite.
"Ah, don't thank me babe I did it for you," he admitted as sparkles almost seemed to light up her eyes. "I didn't want you to get all fat by eating all those marshmellows."
"WHAT?!" she shouted breaking away from him. Duncan shrugged unapologetically.
"Marshmellows are very fattening, right Cody?" he asked of the resident genius.
"How would I know?" came the bewildered response. Duncan was about to respond when a tapping on his shoulder caught his attention. He turned to see Courtney now wielding a dirty shovel.
"You're looking a little fat yourself, how about I beat some pounds out of you?" she threatened. Duncan looked at her wide-eyed before giving her a smug smirk and then taking off with her in pursuit.
"C'mon, let's go track down Chris and hurry up and get our calls before Izzy destroys the phone somehow," said Trent. But to the camper's surprise, psycho girl was nowhere to be seen.
"Well where did she go?" asked Sadie curious.
"Not only that, where's Owen?" asked Gwen looking around.
"He's…probably eating all the breakfast!" realized DJ making a break for the dining hall as everyone else chased after him. Nearby, a massive shadow vanished into the trees.
"So…what do we do now?" asked one of the cameramen.
"Ah, let Unit B deal with those losers, let's see where this unscheduled rendezvous will take us," said the gaffer. "Have you got the monitor that locates the tracking devices we secretly implanted into each contestant?"
"Yeah, the nut and the overeater are headed towards the far shore," said the lighting expert as the team too headed into the forest.
Chris's Place: Chris and his crew were eating all the food in their five-star dining establishment when Chef appeared, silently questioning why the host was still here and not pestering the campers.
"Oh…I…um, gave them the day off," the host responded. Chef appeared incensed at that statement as he turned a vicious shade of red. "But hey, I had to protect this face because marshmellows make it break out!"
Chef began smacking his wooden ladle against his left hand threateningly when the doors opened revealing the campers.
"Dude, we want our phone call now," said Geoff. "I need to figure out how I'm going to fix my skateboard."
"Yeah and I need to-," began Leshawna as each camper began listing their grievances.
"Fine," said Chris holding up his hands. "Scott, show them the phone and make sure they don't rack up the bill. Only I can do that."
"Whatever," said the executive producer as he led the campers away. As soon as they were gone, Chris now found himself with a steamed Chef who was now tightly gripping his ladle.
"Hey wait-!" protested Chris before Chef knocked him out cold with it.
Later: On the far shore of the island, Izzy was all alone sitting on a rock looking out at the water. She aimlessly tossed a pair of rocks into the water as they skipped off into the distance before sighing as she rested her head onto her hand and seemingly became lost in the water itself.
"Mom…dad…," she thought sadly before a twig snapped and she whirled around. Owen appeared from out of the trees and looked around at the empty shore confused. He could've sworn he'd heard the sound of rocks being thrown into the water. He could even see sandal prints leading to the rock, but then nothing.
"Weird," he said, wondering what to do now. But as he turned to leave, a low blur bounded across the sand and tackled him.
"Woof, woof, woof, woof!" shouted the object, apparently a wolf, as Owen threw up his hands to cover his face.
"I'm too young to die!" he shouted in terror. And just like that the barking stopped.
"Owen, what are you doing here?" asked a voice like Izzy's. Owen cautiously opened his eyes to see the girl, her having been the one to pin him to the ground.
"What am I doing, what are you doing?" he asked still a little scared. Izzy had clamped both his arms to the ground and her feet were firmly pushing his legs down onto the ground as well.
"Whoops, sorry thought you were a bear," Izzy giggled as she got off of him and sat nearby cross-legged. "So what's up?"
Owen also got up and sat next to her as they looked out at the water.
"I…just wanted to see how you were doing," said the man, a little unsure of what to say. He wasn't good one on one with woman, especially Izzy.
"I'm fine," said Izzy confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well…I kind of saw you after LeShawna's little monologue," Owen admitted sheepishly. Izzy turned away partly ashamed at that before turning back looking downtrodden.
"Look, I'm not good with helping people with their problems," he began again uncertainly. "But, I want you to know that no matter what the other think that I like for who you are."
Owen's eyes bugged out as he couldn't believe he'd said that as Izzy gave him one of her smiles.
"Thanks O," she said grateful as she gave him a brief hug nearly causing him to pass out. "But I don't care what the other campers think about me. I love being me, if they can't accept that, that's their problem not mine."
Owen looked perplexed at that.
"But the only other thing LeShawna mentioned was…," began Owen when he saw Izzy's expression once more turn sad. "Oh… Sorry, I didn't mean to, I'm not one to pry."
Izzy nodded as she briefly patted his leg. "I know, but I don't mind talking about it. It's just…I haven't seen my parents in a long time."
Owen wondered what that meant. "Is it because they're d-."
"Wha-!" began Izzy in shock before she began laughing. "No, they're not dead. I can still catch their scent on occasion."
"Then why-," began Owen ignoring that last statement as Izzy just being Izzy.
"Because they wanted a better life for me, a better education than they had," she responded lazily drawing a circle in the sand with her pointer finger.
"But I thought on your audition tape, your mom called you out of the backyard and then with the batons you also apologized to her when the sprinklers went off," answered Owen trying to understand Izzy's situation.
"Appearances can be deceiving, like how you shot that bear," answered Izzy cryptically. "My parents had already sent me to go live with my aunt in Montreal long before I made those tapes."
At this point, the camera crew had set up and was filming the two of them talking, unbeknownst to either one.
"Hmm, I heard some of the other campers talking about you setting fire to the chemistry lab at your school during a class about Canis Lupis," said Owen remembering something Cody had mentioned offhand when he'd asked him about the Iz.
Izzy nodded. "Yeah, then the RCMP chased after me and I found that barge where I made my zillions. But none of that really matters. Despite all the money, I'm lost without my parents." She commented even more depressed as her head sunk lower and lower to the ground. "I mean don't get me wrong, I'm still the same old 'live life to the fullest Izzy', but I really would give anything to speak with them again."
Owen stood up. "Well that's great! That's why we get our phone call and you can even have mine to talk to them longer!"
Izzy gave a half-hearted smile. "Thanks O, but…my parents don't have a phone so I couldn't talk with them anyway."
"Oh, well maybe you could write them a letter," Owen suggested, not giving up on trying to cheer her up.
"They don't have a mailbox either," Izzy responded quashing that hope. Course that now left Owen incredibly confused.
"I-uh, uh," he stammered trying to come up with something.
"They're very much in tune with nature," answered Izzy, seeing his uneasiness. "No phones, no lights, no motorcar."
"Sounds…tough," said Owen. His grandfather lived in a log cabin in the woods of Quebec. As Izzy had mentioned, it wasn't quite as rugged as what she was claiming, but still living by the land.
"Not really," said Izzy once again all perky. "Running along the ground on all fours, eating raw fish, howling at the moon every night, it was great!"
Owen couldn't tell if this was another 'appearances can be deceiving' moment from the Iz. Many of the campers suspected she often lied about most of her life to conceal whatever the truth really was. Still, Izzy did really hate those who lied…
"But…what if they've forgotten about me?" she continued, once more back in her depressed mood. Owen once more sat down next to her.
"Only a kid knows that about their parents," he responded, not knowing how else to soften what she felt. "If you know that deep down they have, then that's the truth. But, if you know they still love you, then that's the greatest feeling in the world. That's how I feel about my parents and grandpa."
Izzy nodded before turning with determination towards the land beyond the trees. "Then I know they still love me," She decreed getting up. "Thanks Owen, I feel a lot better now."
"Always willing to help," said Owen striking his chest proudly while trying to hide a blush as the camera crew silently laughed beyond the tree line.
"See you back at camp," said the zillionaire as she wandered off back into the trees. Behind her, Owen sighed. He really liked Izzy there was no denying that, and he knew now that he could have a meaningful conversation with her, but he didn't know where to take it from there. He wasn't sure what he wanted to happen between them, only something. But until then, all he could do was sigh.
"Grrrrowwwllll," came a guttural voice from behind him. Before turning, Owen laughed.
"Oh, ha, ha, Izzy, it was only funny the first time," he stated before turning around. What he saw caused his expression to turn to terror as the camera crew took off into the woods. Two Timber Wolves had just emerged from the water and slowly advanced across the beach towards him.
"Aaahhh!!" he shouted, once more putting his hands in front of his face like he had just done when Izzy trapped him. He closed his eyes and dropped into the fetal position as the wolves drew ever closer. And then a shadow crossed over him as a darkened object dropped between him and the canines.
"Woof, woof, woof, woof!" shouted Izzy once again on all fours as she hopped from side to side. The two wolves seemed taken aback by this new development before both growled as Izzy followed in response. Then all three howled to the skies above as Owen wondered how this could get any worse.
…And then the two wolves tackled Izzy to the ground. Seeing this and seeing Izzy flailing about caused something to snap in the behemoth as he stood up and roared with rage causing the two wolves to look up at him confused.
"YOU GET AWAY FROM HER!" he shouted, charging towards them recklessly. The two wolves stepped aside from the woman as Owen hunched over her, Izzy's eyes clenched shut.
"Izzy, Izzy are you okay?" he demanded as he briefly shook her. Izzy blinked and then look up at the blonde confused.
"Oh hi Owen, what's up?" she said with a gigantic smile as she sat up covered in drool that dripped off of her face.
"B-but there were attacking you!" protested Owen as he pointed at the two wolves who again slowly drew closer until each was on one side of her and Izzy draped her arms over both of them.
"Oh don't be silly," said Izzy self-assuredly. "They'd never attack me."
She briefly kissed the wolf on her right as it barked briefly. Owen's expression dropped.
"How do you know?" he asked slowly backing away from the unlikely trio. "Are they your pets?"
Izzy's turned to a surprised stupor at that. "Pets?" she asked in disbelief. "These aren't my pets."
"Oh good," said Owen with a sigh of relief.
"They're my parents," the psycho responded in all seriousness. Owen's expression dropped and soon he did, out cold from the shock.
…
Owen romped through an isle filled with candy surrounded by a lemonade sea.
"Wow, it's even better than I imagined it to be," the behemoth said, drooling.
"I know," said a young boy who had appeared nearby with blonde hair and a sailor's outfit. "It's just like Captain K'nuckles said it would be."
"That's right Flapjack, tasty treats as far as they eye can see!" shouted a strange purple colored individual with two wooden hands. The two ran past him laughing gleefully before diving into the water as a massive lemonade tidal wave descended on Owen.
"Aaahhh!" he shouted as a whale appeared from the wave.
"Owen?" it asked. "Owen?"
"Whuh-?" asked the blonde confused as he vision blurred and when he came to, the two wolves were licking his face to wake him up.
"Aaahhh!" he shouted backing away from them. "Get away!"
The two wolves were about to follow him when Izzy put her foot down.
"Owen they won't hurt you, they just wanted to make sure you're all right!" she protested. "These two wouldn't hurt a fly, only a full grown moose. Mmm…moose."
Izzy had begun drooling at that prospect as the two wolves licked their lips apparently in response.
"Th-this defies everything!" protested Owen again at seeing Izzy with both wolves. "How can they be your parents?"
"Because they rescued me from certain death perhaps?" answered Izzy and then upon seeing Owen's still questioning look. "The specifics aren't important okay? The point is, is that I am alive and I owe it all to them. And now that they're here, everything in my life makes sense again"
She again squeezed both of the wolves close to her before ruffling their fur.
"So you're human and not a wolf with a skin condition?" Owen wanted to confirm.
Izzy nodded. "If it makes you feel any better, I wish I was a wolf. That's why I howl at the moon and go to sleep listening to horror films. It reminds me of home."
"Wow, I did not see that coming," said Owen at a complete loss. One of the wolves barked as Izzy barked a response back.
"You can also speak wolf?" said the male blonde, half-way between surprise and being impressed. Izzy nodded in response.
"Yep," she said pleased. "And bear, and moose, and some others. I also have heightened senses of smell, vision and hearing. Plus, that snake charmer dance I did was completely authentic. Don't think I didn't notice you being hypnotized."
"Ah, heh-heh," laughed Owen nervously before something hit him. "Wait, if you knew bear, why didn't you tell that bear that invaded our campsite to go away?"
Izzy nodded. "Two reasons. One, I thought it was more fun hanging up in that tree than it would've been in that boring tent because of my upbringing I just hate civilization. The second of course being that that bear was a separatist and he can kiss my a-!"
"Woof!" shouted one of the dogs as Izzy clamped her mouth shut and covered it with both hands.
"Oops, sorry dad," she apologized to the wolf on her left. "I have gotten better at not swearing, I promise."
The wolf shook his head in shame, a strangely human gesture Owen noted, before rearing back and bopping Izzy on the nose with one of his front paws.
"Hey, I said I was sorry!" said Izzy before she soon began playfully wrestling with the beast on the ground as the other watched silently before turning and eyeing Owen.
"So…the wolves understand us?" said the overeater to direct his attention away from the other one.
"Sort of," said Izzy, now temporarily pinned by her father as she had pinned Owen earlier. She then adjusted herself by rolling over and now had the wolf pinned.
"They both can read me pretty well," she finished as she once more was pinned to the ground and struggled to move but couldn't. "And unfortunately my fighting techniques as well. You win this round old man."
The wolf briefly licked her before hopping off and rejoined its mate. The two wolves briefly howled before they began barking at Izzy and made a motion to leave.
"No," she protested sadly. "Not so soon! I haven't told you anything about where my life has gone since I left you two to rejoin my human family!"
Instead, she got a pair of barks that made her smile at least a little bit before the two looked at Owen and barked once more. This got another smile from Izzy as she laughed to herself.
"What?" demanded Owen wanting to know.
"They like you, they really like you," Izzy responded joining him on the beach as the two wolves slowly stepped tentatively into the water. "That's…good, it's very good."
"Great," said Owen also pleased as Izzy latched onto his arm. "They seem like good parents. Strange…but good parents."
"At least you got the chance to see them again to let you both know the other was alright," Owen figured as Izzy nodded wiping away a tear. "But, do you think they'd be willing to do me one favor before they leave."
Izzy looked at him curious as an evil grin filled Owen's face as he filled her in on the plan as Izzy's expression went from shock to malicious laughter.
…
Chris's Cabin: "Oh, my head," complained the announcer as he groggily came to. "Anybody get the number on that ladle that hit me?"
"Grrrrrrrrrr," came a pair of angry growls as Chris noticed two Timber Wolves standing right in front of him.
"Aaaahhhhh!!" he shouted as he hauled butt out of his cabin and off into the distance as the wolves chased after him. Nearby, Owen and Izzy laughed hysterically to each other.
"Thanks, that'll be a good memory to go out on," Izzy agreed. Owen nodded as both watched the sun slowly dip in the horizon.
"So how many know about…?" he began curiously. Izzy shook her head.
"You're the first and only one," she responded. "And I'm kind of glad too. That way if my secret gets out I'll know who to kill first."
Owen looked at her bug eyed but Izzy didn't say anything else with that statement, she just clung onto his arm.
"Guess some things are worth getting hurt over," Owen decreed as Duncan ran past them still being followed by Courtney with her shovel. And then a pair of wolf howls pierced the sky and Izzy followed suit by howling before to her surprise and delight, Owen howled as well. But after a couple moments, Izzy's eyes grew ever larger as she gasped in surprise.
"What?" he asked, concerned over what he said in 'wolf'.
"Ummm, no comment," said Izzy smiling largely and laughing before taking off as Owen chased after her wanting to know what he had said.
Later: A wiped out Chris MacClean stumbled along the shore, desperately out of breath before he fell down and sat against the base of a tree. He was grateful the wolves had finally given up on him after a couple hours but now he was hopelessly lost. …And then he heard footsteps approaching.
"Oh what now?" he complained defeated. The bear that inhabited the island walked past on its hind two legs carrying a large sign that read in French 'Free Quebec!' before disappearing once more into the night.
And with that, Chris MacClean passed out once more.
A/N: Flame/review if you want or if you thought Izzy was a little OOC, otherwise be sure to read the other TDI fiction out there on this site. It's hard to gauge Izzy's insanity as her mood seems to shift a lot. Oh and this chapter was partly inspired by Pud'n from Billy and Mandy because he was raised by wolves too, except they spoke fluent English.
I had a few ideas for this story that didn't come to fruition within, the first being this story was originally supposed to take place after Season 1 when Owen and Izzy were presumably dating(and it also featured a young pup who was Izzy's younger brother). With this version, the scenes were that Izzy knew her parents lived near the Camp and she was so desperate to find them that that was why she camped out on Chris's doorstep for two weeks. Then later on, she told Owen she'd risk leaving the island and getting disqualified from the competition to go find them.
Another deleted scene explained her backstory where her parents died in a plane crash in the woods and the wolves found her and raised her until she was old enough to be properly educated upon which the wolves tricked her into rejoining society and joining her aunt(kind of nixed after I found out that Izzy talks with her 'human' mom in her audition tape). It's possible now that maybe only one parent died and the other was safe elsewhere. The aunt thing in this story, is just the aunt thing, I don't know about that). Another was a brief explanation that Izzy is short for Grizzly and that the reason Izzy is terrified of flying because hawks tried to kill her when she was younger and living in the forests. Other than, enjoy your day and like I said, it's just one possible explanation.