While Izzy visit had helped her by placing the teen in a lighter mood, the visit had darken Archie's mood, it reminded him of how useless he had been.
Archie couldn't help but think about the events of the last few days, even though he had been closer to his dad, Izzy had been the one who had run from behind the counter to help his dad by applying pressure on the gunshot wounds while Archie had stood there frozen.
What would have happened if Izzy wasn't there? Would his dad have died? Would Archie have even tried to drive him to the hospital or would he have spent precious minutes waiting for the ambulance? Would- would he have felt so useless if it had just been him and Pop in the diner?
He always thought he was a man of action that when push came to shove he wouldn't be one of those people that sat doing nothing and just watched the crime play out.
All Archie heard from anyone the past week was how lucky he was that his dad survived, how grateful he should be that Izzy had been there, how Izzy was a hero, how without Hurricane Tate springing into action his dad might have been worse off.
By mid-week each sentence somehow managed to make him made Archie resent her a little more for being the one to save his dad while he stood useless. It wasn't fair and it was more than idiotic to feel this way but there he was all afternoon sitting on a beige couch with Ronnie feeling disgust at himself for resenting someone else for actually saving his dad's life.
He was more than grateful for having Izzy be there since she help save his dad's life but a small part of Archie still resented her for being the one to save his dad.
All because she hadn't been paralysed with fear and took action like he should have done.
His father was shot and all Archie had managed to do was stand there with his eyes closed until he heard the bell go back off, he hadn't even moved to help until he had Izzy screaming at him to be useful.
The worst thing was the fact that Izzy was completely undeserving of the anger that Archie was feeling, she was another innocent person who just happen to be there because she was trying to get her grandad to rest when his dad was shot, Izzy was a sincere and kind person who was very obviously struggling with being there.
In all honesty, Archie could admit that was transferring the resentment he felt about himself onto Izzy Tate as it was easier to handle than hating the sight of himself.
Geraldine had been strangled with a bow he had gifted her himself. It was meant to be a gift a sweet innocent thing since she had done so much for him and someone had taken it and strangled her with it.
All he seem to do was put the people he cared about into danger; it sounded crazy but it felt as if someone was targeting the people he knew.
He needed to be the one to protect his dad the next time, he needed to prepare and not just wait for the next bad thing to strike.
Archie was dragged away from his thought by the sound of Jughead's phone ringing.
"Hello" Jughead answered with a sleep riddled voice blinking away the last of his dreams. "Wait? What? …. Iz… Okay I will be right over"
Archie couldn't hear the other part of the conversation but from what he gathered Izzy had just called Jug in the middle of the night and he was actually thinking of going.
"Wait Jug, it's the middle of the night can't you wait till the sun comes up at least" Archie asked watching as Jughead changed out of his sleep shorts back into his jeans.
"I just need to check on her, she was freaking out. Go back to sleep I will talk to you tomorrow."
"Jughead hold on, wait" Jughead had already run out of the room before Archie could finish his sentence.
"Isn't she already in a house full of people" Archie uttered bitterly into the empty room as the sound of Jug racing his motorbike down the street filled his otherwise quiet and empty room.
x.x.x.x
A few street over from the Andrews' house Izzy was pacing in her front room with her laptop primed and the video ready to play with the press of a button as soon as Jughead reached the house.
As the afternoon visit seem to have unlocked a fire in Archie it managed to unlock something else for Izzy; more specifically her memories.
Izzy had been in the middle of one of her nightmares where Fred kept on getting shot over and over again in slow motion which ironically helped her remember something about the day of the shooting.
She now knew the reason why she thought the shooter was rich it wasn't his shoes or jacket or the stupid jeans; it was the God damn watch on his hands.
By the time Jughead had raced across town and arrived at Izzy's in under ten minutes the girl was ready and waiting outside and had all but dragged him off the bike into the house.
"Pay attention to the watch" Izzy instructed before playing the video. "There see that" Izzy said pointing at the screen, at the flash of light that came from the man's wrist when he moved to aim the gun. "That's it, that's what I was talking about"
"So the gun man was wearing a watch?" Jughead asked
"No the gunman was wearing a ten thousand dollars Jaeger-lecoultre classic time-piece on his hands, and I don't know about you but no Southsider I have every met could afford that watch" Izzy pointed out staring at the screen.
"Okay first of all, from this angle the camera doesn't exactly show the type or brand of watch he's wearing, secondly assuming that you are right the police are focusing all their time looking at the wrong people and last but not least how the hell do you know what a watch like that cost?" Jug asked puzzled finally taking a seat.
"Pop has done so much for me and I wanted to return the favour, he told me that he bought one of those watches when they first came out, he got it the day mum was born for like two thousand dollars but lost it over the years.
I have spent months looking at watches and deciding on gifts to get the old man so trust me when I say that this watch that the shooter is wearing is expensive, as in stupid expensive like something the average Joe won't even buy himself unless he was seriously splashing out.
So I know for a fact that we might be looking at the wrong side of town. We already know it wasn't a random shooting, he specifically went after Mr. Andrews because Fred apparently committed some sin that needed to be punished for so he must know Fred. What is the shooter is a North sider?" Izzy asked leaving the baited questions with all the complication such a question required in the air.
x.x.x.x
After re watching the video a few more times and finding nothing new Jughead decided to call it a night. "I am going to crash on the couch wake me up after the rest of you have finished with your morning routine so I can jump in the shower."
"There are two spare rooms upstairs, Val is with me in mine and then Josie and Mel decided to share a room"
"I would question why you four decided to share a bed in a five bed room house but I am too tired, will you be okay if I went up?" He asked not wanting to leave Izzy by herself if she was struggling.
"Yeah is nearly five Pop, should be coming home soon, I will get some breakfast on for him then go back to sleep after. The last two rooms on the left are free"
"Night Tate" Jug said heading upstair towards the linen cupboard.
x.x.x.x
The rest of the Pussycats woke up to the smell of baking wafting through the house. Everything from vanilla cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies to an assortment of muffins lined the kitchen counter and every surface in the kitchen and living room.
"Morning guys" Jughead stated in greeting as he walked through the kitchen doors.
"I thought you were going back to sleep" Jughead directed at Izzy while gapping at the amount of confectionary Izzy had managed to bake in a few short hours.
"Couldn't sleep but Pop is down for the count so I have the morning to go exploring" Izzy partially joked knowing how worried he had become.
She could barely leave the house unless she accounted for every minute outside and Izzy was sure that Pop would home school her if he thought she would agree to it.
While Josie, Melody and Valarie were having an actual breakfast of blueberry pancakes Izzy nibbled on one of the freshly baked doughnuts she made while explaining exactly why Jughead had turned up during the night while they were all asleep.
"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Josie questioned, surprised that Izzy would want to go looking for the shooter when the had a police force more than willing and capable of finding out who shot Mr. Andrews.
"Yes. I want to find out who he is" Izzy stated plainly. Sure it wasn't exactly healthy to go looking for the person giving you nightmare but maybe if she found out who was behind the mask her nightmares will finally go away.
"So you realised something about this shooter and instead of waking any one of us up or calling the sheriff's department you went and call Jones?" Melody asked looking around the kitchen making sure everyone else realised the stupidity of her action.
"I wanted to make sure it wasn't some type of wild goose chase plus we are going to see Sheriff Keller today." Izzy defended
"Well I can't be the only one that finds it interesting that he came over in the middle of the night just cause she called. " Melody muttered just loud enough for Josie and Valerie to hear.
"Leave it" Josie hissed well aware with where Melody was going with that statement, it was none of their business the way Izzy and Jughead handled their 'friendship' with each other.
It was up to both of them to realise their behaviour normally went outside the perimeter of friendship and frequently crossed the lines into something more especially seeing as Jughead had a girlfriend.
Josie grabbed a container full of blueberry and chocolate chip muffins to take home, her mum would kill her if she knew that Izzy had baked a batch of muffins and she had come home empty handed; hopefully bringing these muffins home would buy her some goodwill for the rest of the week.
x.x.x.x
After watching Izzy wave off the rest of the girls Jughead went back into the living room where they had left the laptop a few hours ago to have one more look at the recording of the shooting.
"So we have a gunman who is terrorising the town with a super expensive watch on his hands" Jug stated.
"It doesn't necessarily disproves that he is from the South-side but it provide some doubt to the theory, if he walking around with a watch that even most North siders won't be able to afford…. but to plays devil's advocate what if the watch could be stolen"
"No, assuming it was stolen why wear it, why not pawn it off. The shooter may not know how expensive that watch it but you can tell it will get you a few hundred dollars, you don't steal a Bentley and ride around in it, you find the nearest chop shop and make some money."
"The watch could have been payment for a hit out on Mr.A"
"First of all what hitman takes a watch as payment, and even if he did why wear it to go kill someone" Izzy questioned
"We've been going around in circles, let's just go to the Sheriff's with our theory then work from there, if nothing else it opens up a new line of enquire for the cops."
"Give me a second to leave Pop a note and grab some containers. I can drop off some of these muffins at the retirement home when I visit great-nan."
x.x.x.x
As Izzy and Jughead stepped out of the Tate house mid Sunday morning wrapped up on their scarves and jacket on their way to the sheriff's station, a man freshly released from prison had his eyes on the pair, instead of going straight home as one would expect he had taken a detour to see the child who didn't know he existed.
Having spent months in prison he had come out a new man, a man with a plan not just for Riverdale but for his family.
He had had months to think of what he would do once released from that hell hole prison but he had spent years planning out a way to meet his daughter to finally bring her into the fold.
Waiting a few more days while he settled back into town couldn't hurt.
"To the Pembrooke Smithers, I have seen what I needed to" Hiram stated turning away from the idyllic looking house, he would come by later to have words with Noah about the welfare and well being of Isabelle, the man was getting on in years soon enough he would be retiring.
It was a brand new day and the possibilities were endless, who knew what could happen maybe this year he could have his whole family at the Christmas table.
x.x.x.x
Authors note:
What do you guys think of this chapter? Izzy has unlocked new memories and now she wants to find this shooter. I know a couple of you are already thinking like Melody and Josie; this friendship is more than friendship.
Also what do you think of Archie's reaction and how he is feeling everywhere he turns everyone is praising Izzy. Is he right to resent her. is he dumb or is it just plain old human emotions since he is actually hating himself but finds it easier to blame Izzy.
Last but not least I would love to hear your thoughts on Izzy's new stalker the one and only Hiram Lodge, he is certainly going to make life interesting for the Tate family.
Comment, review, thoughts and opinions are all welcome. Hope you have enjoyed the chapter.