A/N: To be perfectly clear: Passing through the force field into the Main Cave is like the real world. Spike’s chip only works against humans, so he can still hit Leanna/Kerala. Buffy can’t hit Leanna outside the Main Cave because her chip means she can’t hit vampires/demons. Hey, the fic is supposed to make you think. But I hurt one of my friend’s head so I thought I’d help out just in case anyone else has a headache.


~*~*~*~


“Because I just realized something, Leanna,” Buffy smirked as she put her hands on her hips.


“That I’m going to kill you?” Kerala offered with a raised brow.


“No, that I can do…,” she didn’t finish as she spun her body around to deliver a fierce roundhouse kick. Kerala flew back, hitting the wall with a crack. She looked up in shocked anger.


“…that,” Buffy finished with a victorious smile. It felt good to be back.


With a confused expression, Spike looked to Buffy for an explanation.


“The chip doesn’t work in here,” she explained, not having time to say more. There would be time for all explanations later.


Spike accepted the answer with a hesitant nod, but his attention shifted to her bleeding arm. He moved to her, cupping her face with one hand and brushing his thumb across her cheek. “You ok?” he asked, concern evident in his eyes.


Closing her eyes, she nodded, savoring his touch. It just felt right, like a gaping hole was filled every time he stepped into the same room. And it didn’t matter where they were, or that now was not the time for this – everything else just seemed to slip away when they were together.


Moving even closer, Spike put his forehead against hers, and breathed deep, closing his eyes as the relief flooded through him. “I thought I lost you,” he said in a strained voice.


She kissed him, eyes closed, putting all of her feelings into it – the confusion, the relief, the despair, the love.


“You didn’t,” she assured.


“How touching,” Kerala spat out as she got back on her feet and started circling them, ready to fight.


Spike put his lips against Buffy’s ear and whispered, voice deep with affection, “I love you.”


Buffy’s heart swelled a little, his words hit her in a way that they failed to do before, before her whole life had been turned upside down.


Before she could answer, he pulled away and turned to Kerala, easily slipping back into his arrogant demeanor and glaring at their opponent challengingly.


Knowing they didn’t have time, Buffy got back into fight mode and stood next to Spike, both of them looking ready to kick ass.


“Let’s do this,” Buffy glared at Kerala.


Buffy launched herself at Kerala. She punched her in the face and then ducked, knowing that Spike was swinging the axe and aiming for a swift decapitation, but Kerala saw it coming and caught it again. She pushed it back forcefully and kicked Buffy back at the same time.


Laughing, Kerala said, “You two lovesick puppies are in way over your heads. I’m a goddess, you imbeciles.” She turned to look at her accomplice, who was still in a battle of magic with Willow and Tara.


“Sarath, weapon, now,” Kerala ordered.


Without letting go of the magic, he waved the other hand. Xander’s sword was taken out of his hands as it flew like a magnet over to Kerala. She got it and swung it vertically to test its strength. Smiling, she decided, “This will do.”


“Anya!” Buffy yelled, needing a weapon too. Anya understood and threw her sword to Buffy. Catching it, she smirked at Kerala, ready for action.


She brought the sword down diagonally, but Kerala blocked with her own weapon. Buffy quickly jumped up and kicked her, her foot connecting right underneath Kerala’s chin, sending her staggering backwards. Satisfaction ran though her body, and she began to let out a series of punches, not allowing Kerala to recover. She turned and backhanded Kerala, the force sending the goddess back several feet.


Spike smirked at her, raising his brow in question.


Surprised at her own sudden strength, Buffy realized it must have been from her pent up frustration at Leanna. She shrugged, and continued fighting. “Payback’s a bitch.”


~


Buffy and Spike double-teamed on Kerala, while Xander and Anya stood aside, not knowing what to do.


“Um, what should we do, Ahn?” Xander asked. They eyed the magical battle and then the super-powered one on the other side of the cave.


“I don’t know, but we’re human and we don’t have powers so I’m staying here where it’s safe,” Anya declared, folding her arms.


Xander was about to give Anya a speech about helping their own friends, but then at the human reminder, and the memory of the way Kerala flung them aside like rag dolls, he concluded, “Good plan.”


~


Kerala had gotten the upper hand back, expertly bringing brought her sword down. Buffy dodged, but she hissed as the sword grazed her arm, giving her a shallow cut.


Spike’s eyes flashed yellow and he roared, turning 360 and swinging the axe sideways to catch Kerala in the stomach. Kerala’s eyes widened, surprised as the metal sliced through her skin, axe imbedded deeply into her.


Stepping back with wide eyes, Spike was surprised that it had been that easy. Looking astonished as well, Buffy went to stand next to Spike. She opened her mouth to say something, but then Kerala looked up at them with a smirk.


They looked puzzled, as Kerala grabbed a hold of the handle and yanked it out of her stomach, wound healing immediately. “You think it’s that easy to kill me?”


Buffy’s face dropped. She got all excited there for a moment. And then the severity of the situation hit her. If the bitch couldn’t be wounded, what did it take? This could all be a hopeless cause…


Her mind flitted for ways to win. ‘What did the old woman say again? Discover what’s in my heart or something like that?’ Buffy questioned herself, as Spike kicked Kerala and flung her back into the wall.


She turned to Spike and blurted out, “I love you!”


Spike looked amused, but his eyes shone with affection. “Thanks, luv. Where did that come from?”


Buffy waited for something to happen. ‘Isn’t that the revelation I’m supposed to announce?’ she asked herself with a frown. “Never mind,” she muttered, disappointed that it didn’t work. ‘What else do they want me to do? Let him turn me into a vampire or something? Really reverse things up?’ she inwardly scoffed.


Spike didn’t understand her, giving her a raised brow. He took her hand gently, and asked her, “Are you ok?” Buffy seemed to be somewhere else.


“You know I love you too,” he said in a low voice, searching Buffy’s eyes for understanding.


Smiling at him softly, she said, “I know.” But her expression quickly turned into a distracted one, making Spike frown at her weird behavior.


It suddenly hit her. Leanna wasn’t a goddess.


She looked at Spike. “We have to get her outside that entrance way,” she urged, totally changing the subject.


He frowned, not understanding. “Ok…” He decided to put the conversation about her random outburst on hold, considering Kerala was about to attack them again. At Buffy’s determined look, Spike took her word for it.


~


“Hey, what’s that glowing thing over there?” Anya asked as she looked at the stone in the wall. It seemed to be radiating some sort of energy, noisily humming.


They walked over to it and looked at it curiously. Anya’s eyes lit up and she snapped her fingers. “The gem! That, that Rajendra Gem that we read about!”


Xander wagged an agreeing finger, “Right, the one that’s causing all this goofy-reverse crap!”


Sarath saw the two humans near the gem and he yelled, “No! Get away from that!” He let his hand drop, and Willow and Tara’s magical force hit his body like a ton of bricks, sending him flying into the stone wall. The witches sighed, energy wiped out.


Willow and Tara walked up to the gem, eyeing it curiously. “Is this what we’ve been researching about all this time?” Willow asked.


“I guess so,” Tara said, unsure.


Xander put out his hand to touch it, and he hissed when it burned him, retracting his hand. “Ow, that thing is on fire!” he complained as he sucked on his burnt finger.


“What do we do to it?” Willow questioned, worried look on her face.


“Magic minion is awake, guys,” Anya warned as she looked over Tara’s shoulder.


Sarath lunged at them, desperately trying to get them away from the gem. Anya, Xander, Willow, and Tara yelled out as they ganged up on him, hitting him ineffectively all over. But four humans letting out pathetic throws was enough, making him cower as he tried to fend off the pattering of punches.


~


Spike let out a fierce punch to Kerala’s face, and Buffy quickly kicked up as Spike got out of the way, causing Kerala’s head to snap back from the double impact.


“Are we messing up your hair?” Buffy patronized, as she kneed her in the gut and let out a right hook.


Kerala huffed, hair disheveled and strength wavering at the two blondes who kept overpowering her. She ran forward towards Buffy, but instead of going for the face, she threw her leg out, trying to swoop Buffy off her feet. Buffy saw it coming and jumped up easily, landing on one foot while the other came up to kick her in the head. “Lame,” Buffy rolled her eyes.


Spike picked her up by the neck and slammed his fist into her face violently before smirking and flinging her body to the right, closer to the entrance.


Buffy and Spike were almost there, standing only a few feet away from the entrance. Kerala’s control was lost as she couldn’t even take a moment to gain the offensive.


“You think any of this really hurts?” Kerala mocked as she wiped her mouth. “You’ll never beat me.”


Buffy’s eyes narrowed, and she ran forward, jumping into the air and throwing her body parallel to the ground, a slamming kick sending Kerala backwards.

Kerala flew back through the force field, automatically changing back into Leanna, and she landed with a hard thud, the pain in her body suddenly more evident. Her head shot up, eyes infuriated.


Spike looked shocked as he stared at the woman who used to be his girlfriend. Buffy had said it was her, but he didn’t stop to understand. Now seeing Leanna in front of him, his eyes grew dark, anger bubbling inside of him. It had been the bitch all along.


Leanna got up and ran forward, trying to get back through the force field, but Spike and Buffy rushed forward as well, punching her backwards and exiting the main cave themselves.


“You bloody bint,” Spike said in a low voice. “You were working for the other side all along, huh?” He gave her a look of accusing disbelief.


Leanna smirked. “No, you idiot. It was all fake.” She looked smug.


“You’re façade, fake? Yea, duh,” Buffy rolled her eyes.


Leanna looked at her challengingly. “I mean, it was all fake.” She turned to smile evilly at Spike. “None of it really happened. I implanted all those memories of ‘Leanna’ into your mind, you half-wits.”


Spike looked utterly confused. It didn’t make any sense. He remembered Leanna from years back, and it seemed as real as her standing before him today.


“The first real day I showed up in this world was when I killed Rack,” she added.


“Spike, can we just kill her now?” Buffy said in a bored tone, arms crossed. She didn’t care anymore. Who, what, where. She just wanted Leanna dead, once and for all.


Spike was still in slight shock, forehead scrunched.


Leanna gave Buffy a wide-eyed look of amusement. “But Buffy, you forgot something,” she said in a fake nice voice. Before Buffy could ask, Leanna threw a punch and a kick to her gut. Buffy staggered, and looked up with furious eyes.


“You bitch,” Buffy ran forward and threw a right hook toward Leanna’s face. As her fist came in contact with skin, a shattering pain exploded in her head and she screamed, closing her eyes. She had forgotten all about the chip. With a worried look on her face, she glanced to Spike for help.


Spike snapped back into reality as Leanna hit Buffy, and the possessiveness in him grew furious at the two-faced bint. It was one thing when Buffy could defend herself, but it pained him when she couldn’t. Grabbing Leanna, he slammed her against the wall and brought his fist back, punching her harshly in the face. “Don’t. Bloody. Touch. Her!” he roared in between blows.


Leanna pushed him off, glaring at him hatefully. She lunged forward, sending out a series of hits that he only half-blocked. She kicked him in the gut, but he grabbed her foot and flipped her up, sending her falling to the ground.


Sarath muttered something in Hindi, and the four humans were thrown back. Seeing that they appeared knocked out for the moment, he turned to the entrance and saw the slayer, apparently watching the battle between Spike and Kerala helplessly.


He stalked over to her, and quietly slipped past the force field, transforming into a large, bulky vampire with dark hair. Buffy frowned, beginning to turn around at her senses.


Sarath grabbed her by the neck, and put the other hand over her mouth, silencing her as she froze, eyes wide with fear. It seemed like he appeared out of nowhere.


Spike picked Leanna up with a guttural growl, hands choking her at the neck. He was about to rip her apart, or die trying, when he heard a deep male voice boom, “Put her down or the girl dies.”


He froze, turning his head with his hands still around Leanna’s neck. Leanna smiled arrogantly, despite his choking grip on her. Spike’s heart fell when he saw Buffy in the hands of a large vampire. He didn’t even know where he came from.


Spike let Leanna go, dropping her to her feet, not wanting to risk Buffy’s life by playing games. “Let her go,” Spike gritted out, fists clenched as he took a step towards him.


“That’s the thing about love,” Sarath began, “it always makes you weak.” He smirked and threw Buffy towards Leanna.


Spike reacted, about to lunge toward them, but Sarath put up his hand and an invisible force held Spike back as he roared in anger.


Leanna grabbed Buffy, who struggled, but couldn’t do much as long as she was outside the main cave. “Get your hands off me!” Buffy yelled, feeling utterly helpless. Braving it out and punching Leanna in the face, Buffy clutched her head as the sparks ignited in her brain. Leanna angrily grabbed her and put a bruising hold on Buffy’s neck while the other hand held Buffy’s wrists together behind her back.


Leanna looked up at a furious Spike who was still trying to move against the barrier and smirked as she held Buffy with her back to her own chest. “Ain’t love grand?” she said.


With that, Leanna vamped out again and bared her fangs, leaning down towards Buffy’s neck.


“NO!” Spike roared, panic screaming throughout his entire body.


Buffy felt the fangs pierce into her skin roughly, and she gasped in pain. Leanna began pulling deep gulps of blood out of her, and she bucked as her body went into shock at the loss. Her mind seemed to flash through all the moments of her life, and it landed on one in particular.


“No, look at me! I ... love you. You're all I bloody think about. Dream about. You're in my gut ... my throat ... I'm drowning in you, Summers, I'm drowning in you.”


“You can't tell me that there isn't anything there between you and me. I know you feel something.”


And at that moment, as the life was being drained out of her by her worst enemy, she realized that he had gotten it right. This reverse world didn’t implant feelings into her. They were there all along.


She was brought back to reality, by Spike’s choked scream, “Buffy!”


Leanna pulled back, knowing she had taken enough and feeling Buffy’s body slowly dying.


“Spike,” Buffy whispered, her eyes half-closed.


At the same time, Anya, Xander, Willow, and Tara had gotten up, and seen the chaos outside. “Hurry, smash the gem!” Anya urged.


Sarath heard them and he turned around in panic, letting go of the barrier that was holding Spike back. Leanna looked up with panicked eyes as well, and they both rushed back instead the main cave, appearance transforming back into their real beings.


Spike rushed to catch Buffy before she fell, absolute horror written all over his face. “Buffy, luv, are you ok???” He propped her up with his hands, feeling the tears stinging at the corner of his eyes. She was breathing weakly, and he could hear her heartbeat slowing down. He kissed her lips and her face, pouring his emotion into them and hoping it would make her ok.


“You’ll be ok, luv, I promise,” he babbled as he held a hand against her bleeding wound, hoping to stop the loss.


She closed her eyes, feeling the energy drain out of her body. Leaning her head against his arm and burying her face into it, she mumbled weakly, “…love you…I…know…now…”


Xander brought the axe up, seeing Kerala and Sarath running towards them. He brought it down as hard as he could on the gem. It shattered with an audible flash, sending them all flying back as a force was let out of it.


“No!!!!!!!!!” Kerala screamed, feeling a sharp pain jab into her as the shattering of the gem took her gained power. Her eyes widened, something moving in her gut.


The others looked up at Kerala and Sarath’s confused eyes - they froze in place, making chortled noises as they clutched their stomachs. They both cried out in pain as a visible hole opened up in their stomach, flesh turning inside out.


Everyone stared in disgust as their bodies caught fire and seemed to rip open. They burned, slowly, skin searing off before everyone’s eyes until they were nothing…but a shriveled pile of flesh.


“That is REVOLTING,” Xander said with a look of shocked disgust. “I have NEVER seen anything so puke-worthy in my entire li-,”


“Guys…” Tara whispered, staring into the outside part of the cave with a concerned look.


They whipped around, looking at Spike sitting on the ground outside the cave with a shocked appearance on his face. His arms were empty and no one was there with him. Buffy had disappeared into thin air.


~*~*~*~