"Have a good time," Xander said as he dropped Willow off at the Sunnydale Rec center for her meeting. After everything that had happened the Scoobies thought it would be a good idea for Willow to seek help for her problem. After Tara's death she was a wreck and bent on destroying the world but we won't mention that part right now.

Willow walked into the Rec center and looked around there was a small group of people walking around and mingling. In the center of the room there were a group of chairs set in a circle. Maybe this was a bad idea Willow thought. I really don't want to share my problems with a bunch of strangers.

Just as she was about to make her escape Willow heard a woman's voice. She was speaking over everyone, trying to get their attention, "Hello, if everyone would please take a seat we could start."

Willow sighed and took her seat with the others as the woman continued to speak once everyone was settled, "Welcome to Magic Addicts Anonymous." 'Only in Sunnydale,' Willow thought as the woman continued, "I see many familiar faces tonight as well as a few new ones. Why don't we all go around the room and introduce ourselves. My name is Lola and I have been practicing magic safely and carefully for five years now."

"Hi, I'm Mitch," the boy dressed entirely in black, who sat next to Lola said, "and awhile ago I started practice black magic, embracing the dark arts. I got into some serious trouble and hurt a lot of my friends but I'm proud to say I haven't done a spell for 7 months."

Everyone clapped and Willow listened as the others confessed the various mistakes they made using magic and their addiction to dark magic. Until finally it was her turn to share and Willow doubted these people would clap for her and cheer her on after they found out what she did.

"Hi, I'm Willow."

"Hi, Willow," they all said in unison.

"This is my first meeting and that's pretty much it."

"Please Willow, share. We're here to help. We understand it's hard to admit you're an addict. We've all been there," Lola said.

"I don't think you'll understand."

"We're all friends here. We don't judge," a man sitting next to Willow said, "I did some pretty bad stuff in my past and…."

"Did you ever kill anyone?" Everyone stayed silent, "That's what I thought. I killed him after he killed her."

"Who?" Lola asked, her fake perky façade gone leaving a woman haggard by the magic she had fought so long and hard to control.

"Tara, my girlfriend. She was the love of my life," Willow felt a tear fall down her cheek, "So you see I mean no disrespect but how could you understand. None of you have blood on your hands."

"I do," a sympathetic young woman said, in a barley audible whisper. She was slender, barley a wisp of a girl. Willow hadn't even noticed her before she had spoken. She was a mere shadow. That only think that stood out about her was her ice blue eyes, Willow felt them piercing into her and she couldn't help but feel a connection, "He took advantage of me, hurt me, stained me, violated me. I wanted revenge. I told them but they didn't believe me. They laughed in my face. So I found this book and I thought it would solve all my problems. I killed him but the book dragged me in and I was stuck. I got sucked in by the magic."

"He raped you?" Willow said as the other woman stared at her.

"Yes."

Willow walked into the cool night air. The meeting hadn't really helped. She hadn't expected it to but she thought she would try it before she submitted to being shipped off to England and into the care of the coven. Willow noticed the girl she had seen talked to inside walking in front of her.

"Hey, wait up," Willow yelled. The girl turned around and slowed down a bit, so Willow could fall into step next to her, "I'm Willow."

"Shannon."

They walked home in silence side by side. They had a mutual understand of pain, loss, and vengeance. They had never met anyone like themselves, someone stained with he blood of another but when they looked at one another they could see a reflection of their pain in the other's eyes.

Willow went to the next meeting because she wanted to see that girl again but when she got there she was no wear to be found. Willow walked over to Lola, "Hey have you seen Shannon?"

"Who?"

"Shannon, she was here last time."

"I'm sorry, Willow. We've never had a Shannon at a meeting."

"Oh."

"Willow, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Willow was puzzled as she walked home that night. She wasn't crazy a girl named Shannon had been there she was sure of it.

Willow was near the cemetery and she watched as the gate was pushed open. 'That's weird I didn't feel the wind,' Willow thought as she stepped through the gate and gravitated towards on of the headstones. It read Shannon Meyers, 1982-2002.

"Thank you," Willow whispered, "For making me realize I'm not alone."