"Are you still mad at me?" Izzy inquired, making sure she didn't physically cross the threshold into Cheryl's room, not when she was so angry at Izzy.
"Get out" Cheryl snapped out, barely glancing at Izzy before returning back to her essay.
"Cheryl" Izzy sighed. It was unfair to think that the news of a serial killer would make Cheryl 'loose' her attitude, but Izzy had been holding out hope for that result.
If the situation were reversed, Izzy would like to think she would have forgiven Cheryl. But, then again she'd gone two weeks ignoring Cheryl's attempt of apologising so turn about was 'fair play' as they said.
"I don't want to talk to you, so get out."
The statement was an actual improvement from yesterday's 'fuck off' that Izzy received when she'd gone downstairs for a glass of water.
"Fine, this is your room" Izzy stated watching Cheryl scowl at the reminder. "You can be mad at me for however long you like but telling Pop. Getting you help was the right thing to do, and I don't regret it."
"Do whatever you want. God knows no one can actually stop you." Cheryl frowned, thinking about the events of the last two days.
In the dead of night when it was just her in her room, Cheryl could admit that she was grateful for Izzy's interference even if it was only to herself.
Over at the Tate house, Cheryl had someone to talk to, someone who cared; Pop had taken the week off of work to help Cheryl get settled in. He'd also booked her daily therapy appointments, Izzy had made Cheryl some strawberry tarts... but it wasn't enough.
Cheryl was too broken for any of this, she just wanted Jason back, and she wanted Izzy to stop looking at her like she was...
"Stop with the bullshit saviour complex crap. Midge already told me about your attempt to mess with Veronica and Betty. Punishing them for not telling you about my little dip in the river is kinda childish, maybe you should talk to the therapist about it."
"Pop wants you downstairs in ten minutes, I'm going to go get Jughead" Izzy informed before leaving.
x.x.x.x
"I want to start off by saying it's amazing what you guys have done in response to the letter from the Black Hood." Izzy stood up addressing the town council, mostly Mayor McCoy. "Really, I love the extra school buses, so students don't have to walk but can I ask why you aren't doing any of this for the Southside."
"What do you mean." Fred Andrews asked, no one was surprised to see him after all this meeting was about the man who shot him.
Izzy would bet the diner that Fred was one of the people who called the Mayor office multiple times since the article came out two days ago.
"I mean; while Riverdale High has six buses running in the morning, the Southside only have one. I am talking about the fact that when I went to pick-up Jughead, there was no police presence on that side of town but cross the bridge and come here and there are extra policemen everywhere. Why is that?" Izzy asked the panel, looking from Mayor McCoy to Mr Keller whoever wanted to answer was fine by her.
"This situation isn't ideal for anyone," Tom began feeling the need to explain. "We are a small force we don't have the manpower to run an investigation into the shootings and the murders as well as covering the southern part of town."
"Then re-work your rota, the south side shouldn't have to suffer just because you don't know how to use your workforce."
"They are not suffering the Black Hood hasn't shown an interest in the South Side so-"
"Ohh, so you want to wait until one of them gets killed before you decide to do anything about it."
"Izzy, it's more complicated than that" Sierra McCoy chimed in saving Tom from the teenager's accusation.
"It really shouldn't be, if you need help keeping the town safe just ask-"
"Listen here girlie," came the thick condescending southern accent of the town's treasure "just cause you wish it so don't mean-"
"Phillip Anthony Matthews, you may not like what my granddaughter is saying, but you will respect her. Am I clear?" Pop waited for a response, but when none came, he was forced to re-ask the question. "I said AM I CLEAR?" Pop asked again raising his voice several octaves.
"… Yes right you are Pop Tate, apologises Ms Tate but as I was saying"
"Don't bother respecting me because you got told off, girlie is fine," Izzy called out cheekily. She found it funny when Pop was force to tell someone off, it always surprised people when his friendly affable grand dad devour slipped off and they realised that he was just like every one else capable of getting angry and annoyed.
"Isabelle!" Pop voice carried a note of warning in it, he would always defend her, but that didn't mean she got to rub it in people's faces.
"Okay fine, sorry." Izzy apologised insincerely, "But my point still stands the Southside is still a part of Riverdale, this shouldn't even be a discussion and I was suggesting that we ask the Greendale police department, Ms Grundy was killed in their jurisdiction by the Black Hood, maybe they could lend a hand in the investigation."
"Okay, great suggestion we will reach out to Greendale and ask for help." Mayor McCoy hurried to finish trying to move on.
"But if they decide not to help investigate the paedophile music teacher, the Southside still needs some sort of police presence."
"And I think we should move two of the school buses over to the Southside" Fred chimed in, "We cannot have six busses running on this side of town while they struggle with one."
"Yes, what he said." Izzy eagerly stated agreeing with Fred's suggestion.
"I will ground you" Pop threatened only to get a bright smile in return, it had been a while since he grounded Izzy.
x.x.x
As soon as the meeting ended, Izzy was the first on stage to try and talk to Tom, she pretended not to see the way various council members looked irritated by her presence.
She could admit that she had been a bit of a brat during the meeting and only stopped when Pop threatened to take away her car. "Sheriff Keller."
"Izzy" Tom sighed turning around.
While he was happy to see more students voicing their ideas and taking an interest in the town, Izzy was a whole other level.
Even Sharon hadn't been this bad when debating a point, heck Hiram wasn't that bad. The man would usually pretend to agree then do what he wanted, but somehow his daughter had become the opposite.
Izzy didn't even pretend to agree.
"Can I talk to you?" Izzy questioned.
"It's getting late, and I'm sure Pop wants to get you home."
"It's important."
"Do you remember something else about the shooting?" Tom asked, watching Izzy struggle to answer. Instead, he received an order to follow her backstage before she would talk. "Isabelle."
"Okay, I know you didn't believe us about the watch even though we are right, and I know I have been acting like a brat this evening, so you don't want to listen to me, but Jughead has this theory that the Angel of Riverdale might be me and while I would usually ignore it, it does make sense." Izzy rushed out and said before she lost her nerve. "Yes I am not the only one whose been to the hospital, but I was there when Fred got shot, and Fred lived, and I was there for Moose, and he lived, and I wasn't there for Ms Grundy or... The point is." Izzy shook her head refocusing, "Jughead's theory of me being the angel may be right so on the off chance that it is I thought I should tell you and before you ask no I haven't told Pop."
"Izzy"
"Stop looking at me like that I'm not crazy." Izzy snapped
"I didn't say-"
"And by the way you are already doing a crappy job of protecting everyone as is so, I won't go judging anyone right now. It's just a theory and like I said Jughead may be wrong, but if he isn't, I've done the right thing and told you so do with that what you will."
Before Tom could reply, Izzy had already turned around and stormed off back through the curtains and was making a beeline for Pops.
"What was that about?" Sierra asked, coming backstage, she loved Izzy like a daughter, but even she could admit that the girl was full-on.
"Just another theory," Tom replied, pulling Sierra further backstage.
"Like the watch?" Sierra quizzed, the watch was a good lead. Sierra herself had seen Izzy researching and looking into different birthday presents for Pop she vaguely remembered Izzy talking about watches.
"No, this one is slightly more out there" Tom hesitated in admitting.
"So why do you have that look on your face?"
"Because I can't decide whether she may be right or if she's just trying to insert herself into this whole thing as a way of coping." Tom sighed, scrubbing his hand over his face.
"Okay, I can't help you with that, but I can say that for all her flaws Izzy isn't one to make things up and if in doubt just go to Pop's, it's what I've always done."
"Hmmm"
"How about you meet me at the motel in about an hour?" Sierra put out there. "Pop's already offered to let Josie stay with him for a few more days, and I'm sure Kevin won't be expecting you home tonight." She continued wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling Tom down for a quick kiss.
"I've still got to go check on him," Tom replied after a few minutes. he loved Sierra always had, always will, but Kevin was his first priority.
Sierra couldn't help but smile, one of the things she loves most about Tom was how amazing he was, how much he cares and loves Kevin. "That's okay, how about this weekend?"
x.x.x.x
"Noah, it's good to see you." Hiram greeted Pop Tate sliding into the conversation Noah was having with the town's treasurer.
"Stay away from her," Noah ordered, withdrawing further away from everyone else.
He couldn't help but scan the room to make sure Izzy wasn't nearby; luckily, she was nowhere to be seen.
Hiram himself had made sure that both Veronica and Izzy were preoccupied before he made his way over to talk. "You haven't told her." It was more of a statement than a question, "I was thinking the girls finish school next week for Christmas maybe we can get together and tell them."
"Tell them what exactly?" Noah questioned, "You want to tell Izzy about how you abandoned her for sixteen years, does that seem like something she needs to know?"
"You know it wasn't like that." Hiram defended. "I was protecting her and Sharon. You-"
"You walked away Hiram. You left them both, whether or not it was the right thing to do-"
"You know it was the right thing to do. Sharon was in hospital we had already lost-"
"All that happened because of you" Noah accused grabbing the man and finding an unused room to have this conversation. "Sixteen years, Hiram. It has been sixteen years. She doesn't know you, and I'm not sure she should."
"Noah."
"What's changed? You are still involved with the mob, you've just got out of prison, and quite frankly she doesn't need you in her life. She has therapy this weekend so she can try to deal with everything that's going on, but you wouldn't know that" Noah pointed out, shaking his head. "So, no. I am not going to tell Izzy about you, she has enough to deal with without finding out that who you are."
"Be reasonable here. We live in the same town, half the people tonight already know it's only a matter of time before-"
Noah remained firm in his decision "They've all kept quiet about you. No one is going to tell her."
x.x.x.x
"Hi Polly, Mrs Cooper." Jughead greeted walking up to the Cooper clan.
"Jughead." Alice Cooper barely keeping her face straight, "If you are looking for Betty, she's off with the two other miscreants in her life, Alice informed straightening out her jacket.
"Mum!" Polly chastised rolling her eyes, she hated how no one was ever good enough, not Jason or Jughead or Veronica or even Archie.
"What he's clearly here looking for Betty, I'm just saving us the trouble of having to make small talk with him."
"Actually I came to talk to you." Jughead clarified.
Polly looked between her mum and Jughead watching the two of them having a stare off before deciding to just walk away. She needed to talk to Pop Tate anyways about doing some shifts to save money before the twins were born.
Once Polly left, Alice kept the staring contest going for a few more seconds before giving up the fight, "Okay, so what do you want to talk about."
"The letter from the Black Hood was there anything else?" Jughead asked.
"Like what?"
"Anything else; about the angel."
"Is this about you and Izzy's little investigation on who he could be?" Alice returned, she was glad that Betty had decided not to help with this particular investigation.
Jughead huffed hating the delaying tactics, he really needed to know if there was anything else that Alice had received but decided not to share with everyone. "Mrs Copper"
"You are the one who came to me looking for help, and if you want it, I want to know why."
Jughead scratched the back of his head, knowing he was going to sound like the stupid kid Alice probably thought he was, but it wasn't like he had any other options. "I think the Angel might be Izzy and she's not taking it seriously" Jughead confessed. "So was there anything else about the Angel, something you didn't print. Are there more pictures?"
Jughead asked referring to the pictures of the various mementoes the Black Hood had kept, Fred's wallet, Grundy's figurine, Moose's jacket, Mr Kromer's dog lead.
Alice could see how worried Jughead was "No, there was nothing else, but if you really think Izzy is this angel, tell Pop or better yet tell the Sheriff." Alice advised, "If you like I have the original back at home... the next time you are crawling through Betty's window go have a look."
x.x.x.x
"Not now Cruella" Izzy snapped spotting Penelope waiting next to her car.
Penelope stayed where she was leaning against Izzy's car, watching the girl approach.
Call it an educated guess, but she knew Pop Tate would be at the town meeting about the serial killer and there was no way he would ever leave Izzy or Cheryl at home by themselves while he attended the event.
"You've gotten your wish haven't you, taken Cheryl away from the big bad monster."
"Well it's one step closer to you dying that lonely death I wanted so yeah I'm ecstatic." Izzy drawled, grabbing the car keys out of her purse and unlocking the doors.
"You really think you can solve everything." Penelope mocked. "Fixing Cheryl won't be as easy as saving Fred's life, she is twisted, has been since the day she was born. Did she tell you that she burned down Thornhill with me in it? Poured petrol everywhere-"
"Was she even trying to kill you?" Izzy questioned casually unfazed by the revelation.
Izzy quickly made a list of all the weird shit that's been happening in town, and Cheryl's arson attempt didn't even make the top five.
First there was the town serial killer, then Cheryl's suicide attempt, Ms Grundy being a paedophile, fourth would probably be Shady man, fifth was Jughead's theory about her being the AngelAngel which if that was true sixth had to be a serial killer being interested in her and right at the bottom would be Cheryl the burning down of Thornhill.
Penelope voice pulled Izzy out of her list-making long enough for her to hear the end of the sentence "In all honesty, she doesn't even have the guts to kill me, not like you."
"You think I want to kill you?" Izzy questioned not denying the claim.
"I know you do" Penelope corrected. "Honestly, it's about the only thing I respect about you. I have to respect the fact that you want to protect Cheryl so much that inside that little demonic head of yours you think about killing me. I might actually be proud of Cheryl if she was a bit more like you... maybe." Penelope shrugged in a way to show that she didn't believe that there would ever be a day where she would actually be proud of her daughter. "The least Clifford's could have done before ending his miserable life was to rid Cheryl, but he just had to kill the decent twin and leave me with her."
x.x.x
"Pop!" a breathless Archie screamed, bursting into the unused room containing the man he was looking for. He'd been searching the entire building for Pop Tate only to find him on the second floor with Hiram Lodge. "Izzy. Outside. Come find you." Archie panted out in short less than elegant sentences.
Noah didn't need to hear anything apart from his granddaughter's name to get moving.
Noah had lost track of time debating with Hiram about whether or not Izzy needed to know who the man was to her, it could have been five minutes or even two hours.
Either way, getting into a debate with Hiram over this particular topic was arduous and tiring, but none of that would matter if Izzy had been attacked while they were secreted away arguing over her.
Hiram was hot on Noah's heel as they raced out of the room, as fast as Hiram was to get to Izzy Noah was even faster.
They were at a town meeting about The Black Hood, of course, he would show up.
If this Black Hood whoever he was had taken g=his daughter away from him, there would be nowhere on earth where this man could hide.
x.x.x.x
Noah burst through the main doors of the town hall going straight to the parking lot, he was expecting police, ambulance, a crowd... maybe someone trying to stop him from getting too close.
Noah was expecting a lot of things his mind had come up with a lot of gruesome scenarios in the thirty or so seconds it took to get outside the building.
x.x.x
"Hey, it's okay Archie has gone to get Pop, he'll be here soon." Fred reassured.
Fred couldn't even describe what was going on; apart from the tears streaming down her cheeks and the intermittent blinking Izzy Tate was just stood next to her car in the middle of a rather empty parking lot not moving.
x.x.x
Izzy could hear everything Fred was saying it just, didn't-.
The hospital, a tiny part of her mind remembered.
It was like the hospital when Fred got shot, she knew what was going on, she understood it, but it felt like she was wading through water like everything was happening a second too late.
It was fitting that Fred was here, that Archie was here, that they were all standing around looking at her like she was an alien.
Like she'd been stabbed.
It felt like that though, it felt like she'd been stabbed except she knew she hadn't.
Penelope wouldn't stab her, not with an actual knife at least but with words… of course, the woman would use the truth as a weapon.
Izzy herself had used the truth as a weapon in letting Cruella know that Jason died hating her so, maybe it was only fair that she would tell Izzy about a truth about her own family.
Writer's thoughts:
I have written the reveal five different ways from her finding out while in the middle of the diner, to tracking down Shady man and figuring out what's going on or having Alice tell her as an act of kindness to Hermoine telling Izzy instead before Hiram could and each scenario was the one but I still hated it so this was the one I chose, Izzy finds out off-screen because of Penelope Blossom.