A/N: This is set wherever you see fit, during Donna's timeline. It really doesn't matter. As always, R&R!

"Oi!" Donna cried, as she reentered the console room, "Space boy!"

The Doctor looked up from the console, where he'd been madly flicking switches and pulling levers just moments ago, and fixed his eyes on her.

"I found this," she explained, moving toward him, her arm extended, "Looked like it belonged to you."

The Doctor glanced down at her hand, noticing for the first time the piece of paper she held. Hesitantly, he took it from her and flipped it over. "Where did you get this?" he asked quietly, staring down at the picture.

Donna shrugged. "It was on the floor," she gestured to the picture, "and you were in it… Figured it's yours."

"Wellll," the Doctor replied, "You're right– I am in it. But it's not mine."

Donna waited for an explanation.

The Doctor didn't offer one. He simply gazed forlornly at the smiling young blonde in the photograph, her arm draped around a man in a brown pinstripe suit, before pocketing it and returning to the console.

"Ya gonna tell me what it is?" Donna inquired, her hands on her hips, "Don'tcha wanna go ramblin' on about whatever planet the two of ya were on and how brilliant it was?"

"It's a picture," the Doctor answered simply, turning back to the console.

"I can see that."

Donna waited again, slowly putting the pieces together. "Is that Rose?" she realized. "The Rose?"

The Doctor didn't meet her eyes, but nodded.

"I'm sorry," Donna started, but trailed off, seeing the wounded expression on the Doctor's face. "I didn't know," she said, instead.

The Doctor nodded again.

Donna hovered for a moment more, but it was obvious that the Doctor wasn't going to continue the topic, so she went quietly from the console room.

The Doctor pulled the picture back out of his pocket and placed it carefully on the console in front of him.

Three words. That's all it would've taken… and he hadn't said them.

-l-l-l-l-l-

Donna never asked about the photograph that now rested on the console, watching over them during their travels.