Buffy glared at her Watcher, wishing that a large demon would appear to give the annoying Englishman a few nasty bruises. "We have to find them, Giles. Spike is going to do something evil, I just know it."

Angel frowned, looking over the stack of Polaroids they'd collected. Venice had proven to be a goldmine in that respect; well over two dozen of the small, square pictures had surfaced. The dark vampire now had quite the Xander montage, one that told a story very different from the one that Buffy preferred. Angel had never seen Xander so happy--or content. Perhaps Spike wasn't toying with the boy. If not, they had nothing to fear--at least until the blonde vampire decided to turn Xander.

Regardless, Angel realized that their chances of finding the two men were very slim. The clues in Venice had led to Strasbourg. Since all the previous findings had proven to be accurate, they'd followed blindly. That had been a serious mistake. Nothing in Strasbourg carried any sign that Spike and Xander had been there. A wild goose chase, and precious time wasted.

More importantly, it was time for Buffy and him to return to California. They had duties in their respective cities. Just last night, Giles had alluded to the idea of going home. Buffy had stopped him, but Angel figured that after this little argument, they'd all be on a plane back.

•••

"I like this place," Xander commented as he and Spike wandered the streets of Asunción. "Can we stay here for a while?"

Spike directed Xander down one brightly lit street, whistling absently. "Yeah, wasn't planning on skipping out for a while."

Xander grinned, leaning closer to the vampire. Maybe he'd learn some of the local language and get to do some sightseeing. Or maybe he'd spend most of his time flat on his back. Either way, he'd be happy. "How do you always know where to get blood, when we visit a new city?" He asked Spike.

The vampire shrugged. "Ask around in the last place," He murmured. "Most vamps don't go for the packaged stuff, but plenty of demons do."

"Oh," Xander said. He glanced across the street, spotting a rather attractive, antique street lamp. It's pale, yellow glow reminded him of Sunnydale, The Magic Box, and...well, things. "Look at this," He called over to Spike.

Spike frowned, following Xander to the other side of the street. "It's a lamp post," He muttered. "A rather rusty iron lamp post."

Xander's grin was truly evil. "Yeah, I know. You think it's related to the one in Sunnydale?"

Spike's face fell into confusion. "Xander, lamp posts don't have relatives. They're bits of metal and wire, not family-types. Next thing, you'll be telling me this one's got a pen pal back in Sunnydale, or that it's the long-lost cousin of your old kitchen light fixture."

Xander ignored Spike's diatribe, moving around to push Spike against the post. "Not what I meant, Spike," He whispered. "You think this one'll hold up to us fucking against it, or will we break it like the other one?"

The sound of Spike swallowing echoed down the street. "Oh." Slender fingers pushed into old metal as Spike held on for dear life. Xander was already fast at work, yanking Spike's jeans down. A hot tongue thrust inside the vampire, eliciting a hissed expletive and sharp yellow eyes. Xander kept moving, relishing the sounds of Spike trying not to make noise. The lamp post protested the vampire's rough treatment with groans and creaks.

Spike was two seconds from begging Xander when the boy stood up. Intense pressure made the blonde gasp as Xander pushed inside him without the benefit of lubricant. The friction was maddening. Spike's cock brushed against rough metal, catching on the corroded surface. Xander gripped the vampire hard and thrust forward, nearly lifting Spike off his feet.

Spike could do little more than hang on as Xander rode him with cruel force. If the boy hadn't been so bloody good at what he was doing, Spike would've been humiliated at how wantonly he was begging for it. But gods, what could he do? Every thrust was deadly, striking in just the right spot. Xander's breath was hot and erratic on the back of Spike's neck, blending in with random drops of sweat that fell from the young man's body.

Xander focused on Spike's incoherent ramblings, knowing that the vampire was almost at the end of his tether. Still, he moved fast and faster, until Spike froze with an unholy scream. The vampire's body clenched so hard around Xander's cock that he was stopped cold. It didn't matter, though, because the feel of Spike climaxing around him was enough to send Xander into his own orgasm.

Spike blinked a few times, wondering why his cock itched. He looked down to find himself covered with sticky semen and flakes of rust. Cursing under his breath, Spike wiped down with a handkerchief he kept in his duster.

"Mmm... Seventy-six," Xander said, helping his lover right his clothing. "And that really is a great lamp post."

Spike couldn't help but agree. After all, it hadn't even flickered.