After I left, I went straight home. I shut the door quietly and slid down it, crying heavily but silently.

"Iris? Is that- hey, what's wrong?" Cole came into view, studying me worriedly. James followed after and they both rushed over to me.

"It's so hard," I sobbed, "it hurt so much to see them again."

They hugged me, whispering sweet nothings into my ears until my tears dried out. I sat there, not wanting to move.

"It won't be long before you can reveal your true identity to them," James murmured, "just hang in there."

"Thanks you guys," I embraced them, "I really needed that."

"Hey," Cole nudged me, "it's what friends do."

"Okay, enough of the cry fest," I stood up and wiped my eyes, "do we have any new leads?"

Cole shook his head, "James and I had to kill our source- they were trying to rat us out."

"Damn it," I hissed, "so we have no idea where Elise is?"

They shook their heads sadly.

"Iris," James began apprehensively, "um I think we should consider the option of going to your family for help."

I instantly shook my head, "not an option- I won't risk their lives."

"Our gangs aren't as strong but we can easily track down Elise if we employ your family's help," Cole pressed.

I sighed and rubbed my face with my hands, "I'm not disregarding your opinion, guys," I said softly, "but Elise kidnapped my best friend for four years. She tortured Alex. She sent out men to kill me and Jax. She killed John's entire family just because she wanted the American Mafia. She's extremely cunning and dangerous. You both are one of my closest friends, but I will shoot you if you suggest putting my family's life in danger."

"What if," James said haltingly, "we only tell two people?"

"Who?" I asked.

"Alex and Jax."

I went to school, thinking over what James proposed last night. I'd almost instantly shot the idea down, definitely not inclined to put my best friends' lives in peril. However, now I was wondering if the boys were right.

I saw Jax standing alone by his locker. Well, it's either now or never.

"Hi Jax," I said, standing next to him.

"Hi Carrie," he sounded slightly confused.

"Um... can you and Alex meet me in Pratoh Park after school, please?" I asked, hoping he'd say yes.

"Sure," he looked at me weirdly.

"Okay," I sighed, "cool. See you then."

I turned and walked away, praying that the meeting goes well.

I sat on the park bench close to mine, Alex and Jax's tree. My right leg was crossed over my left one and was bouncing up and down. I'd worn a wig this time- to make it easier to reveal my identity- and was scanning the plateau in anticipation.

I saw Alex and Jax walking towards me and I breathed shakily, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans. This was it.

"Hi Caroline," Alex said cautiously. I noticed that his and Jax's eyes briefly flickered over to our tree and their expressions filled with pain.

"Hi," I mumbled, my words getting stuck in my throat. They both sat next to me and watched me expectantly.

"I have to tell you something," I started quietly, "and I won't blame you if you both hate me forever and want nothing more to do with me," they both became serious.

"I'm not Caroline Brockwood," I whispered, "I'm Iris West-Brown," I looked at them and found their expressions filled with shock, happiness and hesitance.

"How can we trust you?" Jax asked in a choked voice, "how do we know it's really you?"

I cast a quick glance at the park and was relieved to find it empty. I reached up and took off my wig. My black locks tumbled down as I took out my green contacts and looked at them, "now do you believe me?"

"Sing our song," Alex demanded shakily.

Chuckling a bit, I sang 'The Moon Song'. When I was done, they kept asking me questions and I answered them all correctly.

I put on my wig and contacts and looked at them, "well?"

Jax was frozen in shock but Alex stood up and began pacing aggressively.

"You're Iris. You died. But now, it turns out, you were alive all this time and right underneath our noses!" Alex stated angrily. He ran a hand through his messy dark brown hair and glared at me, his blue eyes swirling with a tornado of emotions, "why?" His voice cracked on that word.

"It's a long story," I mumbled.

"We thought you were dead for one year. We have time," he deadpanned.

So I recounted my tale. I told them how I faked my death, how Elise threatened my family and why I couldn't reveal who I was earlier. I told them how I was travelling around the world to track Elise down. By the end of it, tears were were cascading down my cheeks. I looked down, not wanting to see the hate that I was sure was burning in my best friends' eyes.

Surprisingly, I felt two arms wrap around me and envelop me in a hug. I sobbed and buried my face in Jax's shoulders and he rubbed my back comfortingly.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"Shh," Jax muttered, "it's okay."

I extricated myself from Jax's grip- unwillingly- and stood up, "I won't trouble you anymore. Goodbye," I began walking away.

"You're so stupid," Alex said loudly from behind me. I paused, but didn't turn around, "do you really think that we'll let our baby sister fight the bad guys without us?" I heard him come closer and I laughed, spinning around to face him.

"I'm not a baby," I whined and Alex grinned.

"Even when you're a hundred years old, you'll still be our baby sister," Alex hugged me tightly. Jax joined a minute later and we laughed, cried and exchanged stories over the last year.

I felt incredibly happy and at peace, having finally been reunited with a part of my family.

"I love you," I said. Their expressions softened.

"We love you too, Rainbow."