I had prepared for our trip all morning and all the afternoon previously. My two girls, Eva and Hannah, were just dying to go camping. First we had to pick up Eva's friend Olivia. They couldn't wait. They were all so excited. Camping was fun but, it was exhausting and the girls could go for hours. Eva and Hannah giggled in anticipation as we drove to pick up Olivia. I'd never met Olivia's parents so I thought that I'd better do that today. I didn't want them to worry about their daughter and I just think that it's just something fathers should do. Meet their kids friends parents.

Eva ran to the door and rang for her friend, we waited but not long. Olivia camp bursting through the door, she couldn't wait to go camping either. I could tell she was a little nervous, her eyes were just a little too bright and her breathing a little too uneven, like she was trying to calm herself all the time.

"Are your parents home Olivia?"

"Yeah, but they don't care, let's go!" She shut the door and practically skipped behind my daughter as they loaded her things into the car. I felt conflicted. What if her parents were expecting me? Eva and Olivia shut their doors and talked like they hadn't seen each other in years. Quietly though. That's really what made them different from other friends, they were calmer together than apart. Hannah joined their conversation soon enough and it was a delight just to hear them all together.

"Well I don't know, if I met any of the Doctor's I would probably just die!" that was Olivia. Doctor Who? Were all teenagers in love with the show?

"I know! I would definitely be at a loss for words," Hannah wiggled in her seat. Eva moved the conversation on to something new. They were all relatively newly introduced to the world of Merlin. I was glad, they were all too often at the tv or the computer for me. That's why I'd hoped that we could go on this camping trip together, to get away from that.

"When is Merlin gonna be cool! He's such a whimp!" Eva leaned toward Olivia who had her mouth agape.

"Merlin is already cool!" Apparently Olivia is a die hard Merlin fan, completely loyal. I'd seen a couple episodes, it was alright. "He is so wonderful! Don't say mean things about him Eva, don't do it!"

"Yeah Eva, I love Merlin too. Be kind," Hannah gave her sister the type of look that just made me want to bust my buttons. It wasn't long after that little tift that we arrived and talk turned quickly to what we would do to fill up the hours of the next two days. Camp took time to set up but immediately the girls wanted to be off. Hiking and talking for the next three hours playing the "character" game. Personally it just seems like an excuse to talk about something they loved. What they didn't know was, you don't need an excuse to talk about the things you love.

"Um, the "you-repel-me" girl," Hannah was the first to begin struggling with this category. Another weird tv show from the UK.

"Molly, obviously!" Eva acted disgusted that they'd forgotten her. We were coming up on a rise. There was going to be an incredible view.

"Girls, did you know that they film lots of things up here. There were several movies the-"

"What was that?" Interrupted by your daughter and you still don't know what for, I was curious.

"I didn't hear anything Eva, what is it?"

"Shhhhhh," Hannah hushed me and they all listened intently.

"I don't know why Steve thinks that we can find hikers. It's ridiculous!"

"We'll find them. Hikers practically grow on trees here." the 10th Doctor spotted us. "See, I told you. Hello there!" The girls stood stock still.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh," Olivia started mumbling and her breathing became shallow.

"No way, there is no, no way," the delight in Eva's eyes was almost a little shocking. Hannah was speechless, her eyes wide and her jaw dropped. These must be people who matter is some form or another.

"They look like dying hikers, or maybe they're just going insane from the heat or something?"

"Really? They're probably lovely. Hello there, sir, I'm 10, he's 11. That's why he wears the silly bow tie. Don't mind it."

"Hey! Bow ties are cool!" Olivia started to giggle and smile a little bit like she was experiencing a summertime Christmas. "Hello girls, how are you this afternoon? Care for a jammie dodger? We have some just this way," he motioned to the trail we were already following. Now I felt wary.

"No I don't think-"

"Yes!"

"Please can we?!"

"Oh yes, please?" The three girls had a wild look in their eyes. The kind of desperate you don't see unless someone is fighting for their life. I decided we'd give it a try.

"Daddy you are the most wonderful daddy in the whole world!" Eva hugged me, she never does that.

"Right this way ladies, we have to talk to some other friends," and there stood River Song. Eva caught her breath and bit her quivering lip.

"You are the most wonderful person alive," she just whispered it and the woman smiled.

"Thank you sweetie," addressing the two odd me she continued, "Steve is getting worried about you two. Doesn't trust that you won't try to kill each other."

"That's not fair! We're friends," claimed 10, 11 smiled.

"Yeah, we're cool. And we found hikers."

"Well that's fantastic, can they help us?" They looked to me. My girls would never forgive me if I said no. But they'd never stop talking about this ever again. It was clear to me what we needed to do.

"Of course they can help." Olivia squealed and Hannah fell to her knees in a kind of sob. It was...terrifying. Three adults had brought these strong, independent, confident girls to their knees and to tears. Who were these people that they could bring them to this. Eva just kept whispering "I love you. I love you so much. I love you." She laughed and smiled while she kind of cried at them. It was kind of horrifying.

"Well let's go!"

"11, let me do this one. Allons-y!" All the girls followed as if hypnotised. Hannah finally maintained the composure to ask a question.

"What episode are you filming?"

"Filming? We're the real thing, we don't film."

"What?" Eva's eyes got wide. "You mean you're real?"

"Well of course we're real, careful there dear," he helped them through the brush. "Torchwood really does just create a biography of our lives." Olivia met Eva's eyes.

"Everyone is here?"

"What? You mean like all our companions and all the Doctor's? Yes. It's odd."

"The 50th!?" Olivia started to shake and cry. Eva laughed like her life was quite simply complete.

"So who's 12?" Hannah was dying to know it.

"What do you mean who's 12? I am." They turned to see another man just a few feet away.

"He's perfect," Olivia whispered.

"He's magnificent," Eva responded.

"I am so going to love you," Hannah said. He smiled at them.