I own nothing, If DW were mine, the TARDIS would hide Rory's clothes.
Once upon a time his companions stopped being companions and became friends. Friends who helped him to escape of prison, helped him defeating bad aliens and helped him by healing his physical and emotional wounds. Especially the last ones, those were always worse.
Very far away in a magical blue box, they lived. Lived and grew closer. Lived and cried together. Lived and stood by each other against outsiders. Lived and died. Those were the little moments that the Doctor kept with him after his regenerations. The ones the guilt couldn't eat.
But there were companions who he kept more closely to himself.
Like his granddaughter, Susan, who escaped with him from Gallifrey and was the very first of his companions. She taught that grumpy old man how to care, to love.
Like Romana, the only Time Lady he care about, the only one of their race, actually. He was fond of her in his fourth incarnation, but when she died in the Time War, the sentiment died with her.
Like Ace, he showed her the whole universe and made her awe with surprise at every galaxy and planet they landed. Even with her rough look he could saw the warm and loving inside.
Like Rose, his sweet Rose, who healed him after the War and showed him how to care again for the people in the universe. He was very fond of her too, but the love was not enough to keep her save so he had to let her go.
Like Donna that even when he 'kidnapped' her in her wedding day, she still looked for him and made her take her away (not like he was doing it unwillingly, anyways). But she had a terrible ending. The most important woman in the universe wouldn't remember him.
They were all very important to him, he care about them.
But in some way, after they left, his hearts were always broken.