The Doctor, Rose, and Matt walked up a hill getting closer to the more rocky mountainsides keeping their eyes out for any signs of the General spirit. Matt seemed to fall right into step with them both much easier than he thought possible. There was so much he didn't understand about these two based on the conversation they just had and he was really struggling with his feelings for Rose. She had lied to him, so now he had no idea where he stood. It wasn't the thoughts in his head that made him seem like them; it was the absence of expressing them that did. All three were focused as much as they were quiet. Someone could have argued that there might have been something wrong with that.
The quiet was suddenly broken when they clearly heard what sounded like a kicked rock. The sound brought the trio a new energy as they ran to the source, but they found nothing but a rock that chipped from off the side of the mountain.
All three were then hit with the obvious disappointment, but the Doctor channeled his into an interesting fixation with the side of the mountain.
"Rose, hand me your torch." Rose handed him her torch as the Doctor than proceeded to shine it on the mountain while he felt it. His eyes caught what he was looking for quickly as a small goldish gleem shined back at him off the reflecting light. Then as Rose and Matt watched, the Doctor proceeded to bring his face up to the metal and lick it. "That doesn't taste right."
Matt was incredibly disgusted. "Did he just…"
Rose always thought it was weird, but she also thought the Doctor's oral investigation qualities were equally as revolting as they were sexy. Most people would think she was properly mad for considering the action as slightly sexy, but she really couldn't help it. With an almost reverence she replied, "He has extra sensitive taste buds."
"That I do! But, this gold shouldn't be here."
Rose asked, "What you mean?"
"The consistency is weaker because it curiously broke off when I licked it." Matt was now completely disgusted and showed Rose his face behind the Doctor's back to which she giggled softly. "More like a chemical form, but not enough so that this lot would know the difference. This gold is not present anywhere else in the world and shouldn't even be here."
Matt was pretty confused about that statement. "How can you say it shouldn't be here when it obviously is?"
The Doctor frowned in realization. "It was planted here by someone."
Rose asked, "Didn't the General claim he owned it?"
"He did, yeah, but I don't think this is his doing. I think he's trying to prevent something from happening."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. I need more clues."
All three began to look for anything out of the blue that would catch their eyes as Matt commented, "You two act like you've been at this before. Many times before."
Rose answered, "We have."
"So, spirits, mysteries… aliens? This is your life?"
The Doctor grinned. "Everyday."
"Are you saying you've met some?"
"Try, I am one."
He looked at Rose fearing that he had just kissed an alien. "Are… are you a…"
Rose laughed. "No."
Matt breathed a sigh of relief after that and then muttered under his breath, "Definetly not brothers and sisters then."
The Doctor had caught Matt's reaction to whether Rose was human or not and it was not just general curiosity. Whatever those two had done that neither was willing to tell him must have been intimate. The Doctor's head started playing tricks with himself pondering the worst possible scenario and he definitely wanted it to stop immediately. Still, he said nothing because that was just his way.
Matt was a little more scared than he would have liked as he looked at Rose. After getting revenge on this spirit that took his father he wanted nothing more than to just cuddle up with her and hoped she wanted the same. He may have been disgusted that she might have been an alien, but a small part of him almost didn't care. His father was really gone… "Just can't believe he's gone."
The Doctor asked curiously, "Who?"
Rose shook her head disdainfully. "Really, Doctor?"
"Oh." The Doctor was a little bit of ashamed of himself right there.
Rose smiled at Matt. "We're… I'm glad you came along with us."
"Me too."
Suddenly the Doctor called out loudly in complete interest. "I think I just found our clue!"