So I wrote this while trying to write a college essay . . . you can obviously tell which one got done first. *face pillows* But at least one application's already in! :D

In this interlude, the Defenders have an . . . interesting way to break the news to the Avengers, and it turns out the Time Lords still have something in common with their predecessors. ;)

Enjoy!

***

Clara poked her head out of the TARDIS, seeing they had materialized on the main lounge floor, except in one of the closets. She looked up and whispered, "FRIDAY?"

"Welcome back, Miss Oswald," FRIDAY's Irish voice told her. "Shall I inform the Avengers you have returned?"

Clara looked behind her, seeing the Maximoffs had sly smiles on their faces, and the Time Lords were smirking away. "Not yet, FRIDAY, we have a surprise," she said as they stepped out.

"Hello, FRIDAY," the Doctor said. "I'm the Doctor, and this is the Bad Wolf."

"You have regenerated," FRIDAY noted.

"And we want to play a prank on the other Avengers," Pietro smirked. "Please refrain from saying they are here while my sister, Clara, and I talk to them."

"Yes, Mr. Maximoff."

The three of them snickered before waving to the Time Lords. "You'll know?" Pietro asked.

"We'll be right behind you," the Doctor smirked, gesturing to their rings. "Perception filters."

Clara giggled, then took a deep breath. "Into character." In one second, the three of them went from gleeful and mischievous to sad and near tears. "OK," Clara swallowed. "Let's fool them."

The Doctor winked at Jessie as they walked right out the door. "Tell them the Maximoffs and Clara are here, FRIDAY," Wanda ordered.

"Yes, Miss Maximoff."

***

"Sir, the TARDIS carrying the Maximoffs and Miss Oswald has arrived. They are currently proceeding to your location."

All nine Avengers in the room - Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Saleen Harper, Martha Rogers-Jones, Vision, James Rhodes, and Sam Wilson - looked up, surprised. "What about the Doctor and J?" Tony asked in concern.

"They do not appear to be with them, sir."

"Oh, no," Saleen blanched.

A moment later, the doors to the lounge slid open, and Clara was first in the room, eyes puffy and red. "Clara?" Martha asked in concern, standing up. "What is it?"

"Wanda?" Steve's eyes went right to the Maximoffs, her eyes red with the same energy sparking at her fingertips, Pietro looking like he wanted to punch something. "Pietro?"

"Where are the Bad Wolf and the Doctor?" Vision asked softly, rising to his feet.

Clara cleared her throat. "Trenzalore," she answered thickly, making all their eyes widen. "We just came from Trenzalore."

"The Bad Wolf tricked us," Pietro said darkly, holding up a small device. "Told us to put this in the TARDIS. It brought us back here."

"They're dead," Wanda said shortly. "I felt it."

Saleen let out a noise similar to a cat being strangled, Natasha putting a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, my God," Clint closed his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Steve stepped forward, and Clara hugged him gratefully, tears in her eyes.

"How?" Tony croaked, closing his eyes as Vision hugged Wanda, Martha hugging Pietro. "How did it happen?"

"The question that the Doctor must never answer, the answer the Bad Wolf took to their grave," Wanda said thickly. "Hidden in plain sight. Doctor Who?"

"Thousands of their greatest enemies surrounded the planet when they heard the message," Pietro nodded. "Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans, the entire lot of them. The leader of the Papal Mainframe called it the Time War begun anew. And the Doctor and the Bad Wolf have sided with the Silence to defend the town they're staying in."

"Dying in battle," Clint chuckled. "That would be how J would want to go."

"But then the TARDIS somehow got caught in the throat of a dinosaur on our way back," Clara sniffed, turning around to hook her phone up to a holographic screen. In the process, her back was to them, so when they thought she was shaking from tears, she was trying hard not to burst into hysterical laughter. "The TARDIS looked disgusting."

All of them grimaced when they saw the image Clara had taken of the TARDIS, covered in dinosaur saliva. "Ew," Sam remarked for all of them.

"Yes, that was my fault," a Scottish voice behind them said all of a sudden, making the nine Avengers yelp and jump around, trying to see who had made the statement. "Though I still blame the Daleks."

"Of course you blame the bloody Daleks," a female voice snickered. "Idris still blames you."

"Well, she would," the Scottish voice muttered, and Natasha, Saleen, Clint, Martha, and Sam drew their guns when two new people suddenly appeared from nowhere: an older man in a red-lined dark navy jacket and black motor boots, and a young woman in a black silver- and gold-lined pant suit with hidden gold and silver accents in her hair. "With my luck, of course she blames me."

"FRIDAY, security breach!" Tony shouted -

Only to hear Clara and the Maximoffs burst out laughing. "Oh, that was brilliant," Clara choked.

"You didn't see that coming?" Pietro pointed at the Avengers as Wanda doubled over laughing.

"Surprise!" the dark-haired woman grinned, doing jazz hands.

"Thank you, FRIDAY," the Scottish man smirked as all nine of the others' jaws dropped once again, this time speechless. "You did an excellent job."

"Thank you, Doctor," FRIDAY responded. "Will there be anything else?"

"No, no, FRIDAY, I don't think so," Tony shook his head, seemingly in a daze. "Just . . . what?"

"Chin up, Tony," the woman sauntered forward, using one finger to click his jaw back into place, the companions laughing hysterically. "You'll catch flies."

"Doctor?" Martha whispered, tears in her eyes. "Bad Wolf?"

"Martha Jones, the Woman Who Walked the Earth," the Doctor grinned. "Miss us?"

"Yes!" she shouted, punching him in the arm before giving him a huge hug, Clara again laughing at the uncomfortable look on the Time Lord's face. "Oh, my God, how?!"

"We thought that was the last!" Rhodey agreed, giving Jessie a hug next.

"I quote the Daleks: 'the rules of regeneration are known,'" Jessie drawled before snorting. "Daleks should know by now."

"Never tell us the rules," the Doctor nodded, shaking hands with Steve.

"So we both got regenerations to even ourselves out, and . . . " Jessie smiled radiantly. "I'm a full Time Lady now."

"No way!" Sam's jaw dropped.

"Yes, way!" she grinned.

"Congratulations!" Saleen laughed, giving her a hug. "Why does the Doctor look like he wants to be sick?"

"He's 'not a hugging person' now," Clara rolled her eyes.

"And yet he still hugs me just fine," Jessie sighed.

"Shut up," the Doctor grumbled.

"Never," she kissed his cheek.

"Well, I need to get back to school," Clara checked her watch. "It may be nearly midnight here, but that's nearly five o'clock there, and I need sleep."

"How's the job working out?" Martha asked with a smile.

"Going well," Clara nodded. "Made a good friend, too."

"Good for you."

"We'll be off, then," the Doctor waved. "We'll see if we can pop in another time. Got the universe to see, after all."

"Bye!" the Avengers all waved as the group of five headed off.

***

As soon as the door closed, Wanda declared, "Tony is hiding something."

"Could you tell what it was?" Jessie asked as they headed for the console.

"No," she shook her head. "But it was not pleasant, whatever it was."

"Wonderful," Pietro grumbled. "What other unpleasant weapons is he going to pull out?"

"We'll deal with that when it comes," the Doctor looked at them sternly as he flew the TARDIS. "For now, we drop Clara back off to give her a good night's sleep - "

"Thank you," she sighed in relief.

"And then we all get some sleep," he looked around the console. "We all deserve it."

"Just make sure you actually do sleep," Clara mumbled as she headed for the doors, only to stop dead and close her eyes. "I did not just say that out loud."

"You did," Jessie giggled as the Doctor smirked. "What we do in our bed is none of your business, Clara."

"Why did I say that?" Clara thumped her head against the door as the Maximoffs laughed. "Why in the name of Asgard did I say that?"

The Doctor just laughed. "Go."

Clara couldn't have gotten out the door any faster, except then she popped back in. "Good night," she kissed Pietro, hugged Wanda, then headed back out the door.

"Good night!" they called after her. Clara waved, then shut the door behind her.

Pietro yawned, then looked at the Time Lords. "Do you even need sleep after those knockouts you had in London?"

"Eh," Jessie leaned against the console. "We might as well get back in the swing of things. After all, I think with readjusting to being a full Time Lady, I could use some work in the training room. Some of my abilities were a bit off."

"Same here," the Doctor nodded. "I could phase through the Half-Face Man just fine, but a bloody door?" He scoffed. "That needs fixing."

"Good idea," Wanda chuckled. "Just don't tire yourselves out too much."

Right away, she winced and closed her eyes, not wanting to see the Time Lords smirk - and smirk they did. "And what are you implying with that, Miss Maximoff?" the Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going," Wanda spun on her heel and walked off quickly, Pietro following her and laughing hysterically. "I am going and shutting up."

"You didn't see that coming?" Pietro laughed as they went out of sight.

Jessie sighed and patted the time rotor. "All's back to normal, Idris. You've outdone yourself this time."

The TARDIS beeped cheerfully, and Doctor smiled at Jessie. "The phone call was a good idea."

"I thought she would need it," Jessie nodded, then paused. "We're not going to the training room, are we?"

"More than likely won't reach it at all," the Doctor admitted, holding out his hand. She grasped it instantly, and laughing, she ran after him down the hall.

Oh, it was good to be back to normal.

***

There may not be as much flirt, but these two definitely have still got it. ;)

And we're back to the regular uploading program, folks! Which means, back over to Caly now! Introducing Rory's devut TARDIS adventure: "The Vampires of Venice," coming soon!