Thanks to everyone who followed/faved my story so far!
NicoleR85: Good to be back
The Time Lord Oracle: thanks! Sorry it took so long
~H C Clements~
"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute", the Doctor explained, going over to a computer.
"Who are they?" Donna asked.
"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf", the Time Lord replied.
"You're talking about the fight between those…things. The metal men and the pepper pots", Farah recalled.
"Daleks and Cybermen", the Doctor corrected.
"Mama hated those", Millie mumbled, pressing herself into her godmother's side for comfort "she made me stay under my bed the whole time. Bet you weren't scared, Aunty", she added, glancing up at the ginger.
"Me? Course not!" the ginger lied, hugging the girl "if I could manage the Sock Monster, I could certainly manage an oversized tin man!"
Millie laughed "yeah, you certainly showed Mr Sock Monster!"
"Sock Monster?" the Doctor enquired, somewhat bemused by their conversation.
"The monster who lives in the washing machine", the girl said in a 'duh' tone "you know, the one who only eats one sock in each pair?"
"He's quite the menace", Farah stated seriously but then she winked at the Time Lord, who smirked "but I think we're getting a little off topic aren't we? You were saying something about this company being bought up by Torchwood…?"
"Yes, right" the Doctor darted over to another computer "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think…someone else came in and took over" he whacked the top of the monitor "the operation".
""But what do they want with Donna?" the empath asked "why give her all those Huon things?"
"Whoon?" Millie frowned "what's that?"
"Huon", the Time Lord corrected "and that's a very good question Fay. The only place you can find a Huon particle is in the heart of the TARDIS" he picked up a mug "this is the TARDIS" he held up a pencil "this is you. "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and whap!" the Doctor throws the pencil into the mug "You were pulled inside the TARDIS".
"I'm a pencil inside a mug…" Donna said, weakly.
"Yes, you are. MH. sums you up", the Time Lord said. He turned to Lance "Lance what was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"
"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager", Lance said defensively. Farah frowned at the tone of his voice. She felt a strong sense of nervousness from him. There was something he wasn't telling them…something he was hiding. But what?
"You know, if I was doing something super-secret and I didn't want anyone to know. I'd have a hidden room or a secret floor", she remarked looking at Lance waiting to see if he gave anything away. She was satisfied to see a flicker of panic in his eyes and his nervousness was replaced by anxiety and fear. Yeah…he knew about the secret floor.
Millie patted Farah's hand and she bent down slightly. "Pants on fire", she whispered. Her godmother had always taught her to 'use her eyes and notice everything'. That was how she knew that this Lance man was a big fibber.
"Big pants on fire", the ginger murmured back "best keep an eye on him" and the girl nods.
"What did I tell you, Millie? Your aunty IS brilliant", the Doctor declared, gaining the pair's attention.
"I know", the girl states as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I'm really not", Farah protested weakly as the Doctor grabbed her hand and pulling her down the corridor to the lift as well as Millie since she'd latched onto the ginger's other hand. Donna and Lance followed after them. "One secret floor", he said nodding to the button marked Lower Basement.
"It needs a key", the former bride stated.
"I don't", the Time Lord said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. He sonics the lock and steps in the lift next to his companion and her goddaughter. "Right. Thanks you two but we can handle this. See you later"
"No chance, Martian. You and Fay are the ones who keeps saving my life, I ain't letting you two out of my sight", Donna said firmly getting in the lift.
"Martian?" Millie repeated, looking at the Doctor curious "are you an alien?"
"I am", he confirmed "is that a problem?"
The girl shook her head "no", she replied.
"You coming Lance?" Donna asked, looking at her husband to be.
"Maybe I should go to the police", he suggested, hesitant.
"Inside", Donna said equally firm as before. Lance does so but reluctantly.
"To honour and obey?" the Doctor said jokingly, earning him a hit in the arm by Farah "Ow! Will stop doing that!"
"Nope. I will keep hitting you every time you are rude, Martian", the empath shot back. The Time Lord rolled his eyes at her use of the nickname that Donna kept calling him.
"You bicker like mum and dad", Millie commented "you should be Auntie's new special friend" she states to the Doctor "you are a thousand times better than Ben" She pulled a face at the name.
"Is that so?" the Time Lord remarked, casting a glance at the 23 year old next to him who purposefully didn't meet his eyes.
"Yeah!" Millie proclaimed "Rah Rah?"
This time Farah met the Doctor's gaze "I suppose he is", she agreed "I do need a new special friend as you-know-who isn't any more".
The girl smiled brightly "Mr Martian can be your new special friend", she declared.
The empath chuckled "I'll think about it, ok?" she promised, putting her arm around her goddaughter.
"What's to think about?" the brunette questioned, confused "you need a new friend and I like him".
"Oh, so if you approve then I must agree, is that it?" Farah enquired, amused.
"Yes", Millie replied. The empath exchanged bemused looks with the Doctor.
"So how about it Mr Martian?" the ginger asked in a playful tone.
The Time Lord considered his answer. Would it really be so bad to be Farah's new 'special friend'? She was funny, brilliant…even if she kept denying it…she was good with kids, if the banter with her goddaughter was any indication. Any man would be lucky to even be considered as her new 'special friend'. Well…except the stupid ape who thought he could do better. As if that idiot could've done better! the Time Lord internally scoffed. Then his thoughts turned to Rose. Was Farah better than Rose? Honestly, he didn't know. Yes, the blonde picked him up when he was at his lowest point…made him feel like the Doctor again. But after he regenerated things got a bit…weird. She was trying too hard to impress him and to seek his approval.
Farah, on the other hand, didn't do any of those things. Well…if she were it wasn't intentional.
No.
No.
Farah Galen…
The lift dinged, interrupting his internal musings, and the doors slid open to reveal a dimly lit corridor. "Hold that thought, Millie", the Doctor said and stepped out.
"You recon H C Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked.
"The mysterious Mr HC Clements? I think he's part of it", the Time Lord replied. Farah's eyes lit up when she saw the segways.
"I bags this one", she said going over to one of them, taking Millie with her. She crouched down "Monkey Millie", she instructed. The girl nods and clambered onto her back, wrapping her arms and legs around the ginger. Once the empath was sure that she was secure, she stood up and hopped onto the segway. Soon they were zooming along the corridor. "Woo!" Farah whooped, speeding ahead of the trio. Just to show off she did a little donut, laughing the whole way as did Millie.
"Again!" the girl cheered and the ginger complied. The Time Lord chuckled at her antics. He couldn't help think of how he'd never really seen Rose act that way around children, so relaxed and carefree. The Doctor shook his head. He had to stop comparing the two of them! The two women couldn't be more different. Night and day really. Despite their differences, the loss of the blonde still hit him hard.
Eventually they reached a door at the end of the corridor marked: Torchwood- authorised personnel only. The Doctor turns the wheel on the door. It swings open to reveal a ladder behind it. "Hey, you better come back", Farah said, setting Millie down on the floor as he started to clamber up the ladder.
"Course I will. Trust me, I'm the Doctor", the Doctor said with a grin which she returned. The Time Lord climbs up the ladder while she, Donna, Lance and Millie watched.
Farah then turned her attention to Lance. "Do you know what an empath is?" the former Groom shook his head "it's someone who can sense emotions and feelings of a person. It's also very handy for knowing if someone is lying".
"You, big pants on fire", Farah's 4 year old goddaughter proclaimed.
"She's right", the ginger agreed "I…we know you're hiding something. Come out with it", she ordered.
"I'm not hiding anything", Lance insisted and she raised a brow. If this guy were Pinocchio his nose would be very long. Before she could say anything else, the Doctor came back. "So where did that lead then?" she asked.
"Thames flood barrier", he replied.
"The Thames? Of all the places to have a secret area", Farah remarked.
"Well the London Eye was used by the Nestene Consciousness as a transmitter", the Doctor told her. When the four humans gave him a confused look he elaborated "shop window dummies coming to life in 2005?"
Millie shrank against her godmother "not those evil Ken dolls!" she exclaimed.
"Millie and her mother were attacked by those things", Farah explained, rubbing the shaken girl's back.
The Time Lord crouched down so he was eye level with Millie. "I'm sorry you went through that", he said softly "and I assure you, I did everything in my power to stop them. They won't be coming around to harm anyone again" he gave her a smile which she returned "oh, and in answer to your earlier question, I would give being your Aunt's 'special friend' a go" he glanced up at the empath "if she is still willing".
"Well, given that my niece has already given her seal of approval then yes, I am still willing", Farah answered.
The Time Lord grinned "fantastic!" he proclaimed, jumping up. He took hold of the empath's hand, led the way down the hall and through the door into what appeared to be some kind a lab. "Oh look at this! Stunning! Particle extrusion!" he exclaimed, looking at the whole process going on in front of them.
"What does it do?" Donna asked.
"Particle extrusion. Hold on…" the Doctor, let go of Farah's hand and ran over to the bubbling test tubes "brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. In case my people got rid of Huons, they unravelled the atomic structure".
"Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?" Lance somewhat demanded, eyeing the Doctor and Farah, warily.
"Oh… just a freelancer and his assistant", Farah replied, vaguely.
"My brilliant assistant", the Time Lord corrected earning a blush from the ginger "This lot have been rebuilding Huon particles using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result of Huon particles in liquid form", he explained.
"And that's what's inside of me?" Donna asked. The Doctor turned the knob at the top of the test tube making the liquid inside glow. "Oh my god!" she cried when she started to glow as well.
"The Whoon are making Donna glow!" Millie gaped "how?"
"Because the particles re inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then… Ha!" the Time Lord said, making Donna jump. "The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle, oh, and your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, wham go the endorphins, oh you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a w…" Farah clapped a hand over his mouth stopping him in mid ramble when she saw/sensed that Donna was getting annoyed again.
"Stop talking. Unless you want Donna to slap you again", she said, giving her reasoning behind cutting of his talking.
"Just tell me, these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?" Donna pleaded.
"Yes", the Doctor said rather unconvincingly after Farah removed her hand from his mouth. The empath could tell that he was lying just like Lance. She turned to talk to the man but he'd slipped away. The woman mentally kicked herself for not getting him to tell her what he was hiding earlier, before they gotten in the lift.
"If your lot got rid of Huon particles…why did they do that?" Donna enquired.
"Because they were deadly", he replied gently.
"Donna the Doctor's going to sort this out, I promise", Farah said, putting her arm around the woman.
"She's right. I'm not about to lose someone else", the Doctor added. Their moment was interrupted by crashes and bangs. One of the walls suddenly slides upwards to show a chamber with a large hole in the floor.
"I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to awaken!" a voice said, echoing through the chamber. The Doctor, Farah, Millie and Donna saw more Robo Santas around the walls of the chamber. Lance the coward, had run off.
"Someone has been digging…that seems like something Torchwood would do", the Time Lord commented.
"Whoa that's one big hole!" the girl exclaimed, peering down it "How far down does it go?"
"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" the voice said.
"Really? What for?" the Doctor asked, with a frown.
"Dinosaurs", Donna replied also looking at the hole.
"What?" the Time Lord questioned, casting a glance at the ginger, confused.
"I think she's talking about the film Under the Earth", the empath replied "though I highly doubt there's dinosaurs down there. I have a feeling its far worse".
"Worse?" Millie repeated, a worried expression crossing her face.
"Nothing the Doctor can't handle though, right Martian?" Farah remarked lightly, putting an arm around her goddaughter.
"Absolutely", the Time Lord assured her "now! Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" the Doctor called.
"High in the sky, floating so high on Christmas night"
"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom! Come on, let's have a look at you", the Time Lord urged.
"Who are you with such command?" the voice asked.
"I'm the Doctor", the Time Lord answered.
"Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart", the voice said. The Time Doctor's eyes widened when he saw the being that teleported into the chamber. Millie let out a small scream at the giant spider, hiding her face in Farah's side.
"The Racnoss but that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!" the Time Lord exclaimed.
"Empress of the Racnoss" the spider alien corrected.
Farah frowned "But if you're the Empress, where's the rest of your kind?" she just about caught a flicker of sadness from the large creature "Or are you the only one?"
The Empress hissed "Such a sharp mind for a child".
"The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets", the Doctor explained to them all.
"Racnoss are born starving!" the Empress cried "Is that our fault?"
Donna gasped "They eat people?"
The Doctor then noticed a pair of shoes sticking out from a giant web in the ceiling. "HC Clements, did he wear those… those erm, black and white shoes?" the Time Lord asked the ginger quietly.
"He did! We used to call him the fat cat in spats", Donna replied smiling a little at the memory. Her smile fell when the Doctor pointed up and she looked. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed looking at the shoes. It made Farah feel sick just thinking about the Racnoss devouring that man. She hugged Millie closer to her when she heard the girl whimper.
"Mm, my Christmas dinner", the Empress said, cackling.
"You shouldn't even exist! Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss, they were wiped out", the Doctor said, trying to figure out how the Empress could've survived.
"Except for me", the Empress said.
Donna at this time had noticed Lance on the balcony above the Racnoss. "But that's what inside of me, that Huon energy thing", she said but the Racnoss paid her no attention. That got Farah mad, she wanted answers as much as the other ginger did.
"Oi! You will look at my friend when she's talking to you! Where does Donna fit in to all of this? Why has she got these Huon particles inside of her?" the empath demanded "Hey, Spider Queen!" she shouted, catching the Racnoss' attention "She deserves answers and YOU are going to give them to her!"
"The clever child is feisty", the Empress proclaimed.
"What can I say, I'm part mama bear", Farah deadpanned.
"Well I know one thing. Spider is a spider and an axe is an axe! Now do it!" Donna said to Lance which was when the empath noticed him. Lance swings the axe but stops short of the hitting the Empress. He lowered the weapon and they both began to laugh much to the confusion of Donna.
"I'm sorry", the Doctor said quietly to her. At that moment he'd worked out that Lance was working with the Empress, he was the one who was dosing her with Huon particles for months.
"Sorry for what? Lance, don't be stupid! Get her!" Donna said, not understanding at all.
"God, she's so thick", Lance said as his former bride still didn't get it.
"Big pants on fire", Millie mumbled, peering out in time to see Lance's betrayal.
"Big pants on…what?" Donna repeated, still utterly lost.
"Lance is a liar Donna. He has been since you two met. The coffee he's been giving you for months, it's dosed with Huon particles", Farah explained, trying to stay calm. Now she knew what he'd been hiding and it made her angry. All she wanted to do right now punch Lance so hard that he wouldn't get back up. Better yet she wanted to toss him into the nearest black hole along with the Empress.
"He was poisoning me?" Donna asked, shocked.
"I'm afraid so", the empath said softly.
"It was all there in the job title, the Head of Human Resources", the Doctor said, just as upset and angry as his companion was.
"This time it was personnel", Lance joked and he and Empress started laughing again.
"But we were getting married", Donna said quietly. She then had to listen to Lance hurling abuse about her pointless nattering's which was making Donna more and more upset while Farah was on the verge of losing her temper once more.
"You're gonna regret insulting her like that", Farah snapped, putting an arm around Donna, all the while making sure she had a firm hold on Millie.
"Oh what are you going to do?" he asked, not really afraid of her.
"I don't know. Why don't you come down here and find out?" the ginger spat, glaring at him.
"But I loved you", Donna whispered, heartbroken.
"That's what made it so easy", Lance sneered "It's like you said Doctor, the big picture, what's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That' what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you Doctor?"
"Who is this little physician?" the Empress asked.
"Oh, I'm sort of… homeless", the Time Lord replied, vaguely "But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?" the Doctor pressed, wanting to know what the Empress was up to.
"I think he wants us to talk", Lance remarked.
"I think so too", the Empress agreed.
"Well tough! All we need is Donna!" the man smirked down at his former fiancée.
"Kill this chattering little doctor-man, clever child and quivering babe!" the Empress ordered.
"No!" Millie cried.
"Don't you hurt them!" Donna said stepping in front of the Doctor, Farah and Millie in an effort to protect them.
"At arms!" the Empress commanded her Santa robots who pointed their guns at the trio.
"Ah now. Except…", the Doctor started. Farah cast a glance at him, sensing how calm he was. She hoped it was because he had a plan.
"Take aim!"
"Well, I just want to point out the obvious…" the Time Lord tried again.
"They won't hit the bride. They're such good shots", the Empress mockingly assured them.
"Just…just hold on, just a tick…just a tiny little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it…" the Doctor explained.
"The spaceship comes to her", Farah finished, looking at the tube in his hands figuring out what he was planning to do. The Doctor smiled at her before twisting the top of the tube causing both Donna and the particles to glow. The Santa Robots fired at the trio but it was too late, the TARDIS had materialised around them.
"We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant!" the Doctor said, working at the console. Farah put her arms around Donna as she began tear up. She led her to the captain's chair and sat down. the ginger rubbed the top of the other woman's arm while the bride silently cried on her shoulder. Millie hopped up onto the chair, sitting on Donna's other side. While she may be extremely terrified of the current situation, she didn't want to focus on herself. Donna was more important right now.
The Time Lord looked over at them from where he stood at the console. "We've arrived", he said and the trio glanced over at him.
"Shall we go check out the creation of Earth then?" Farah suggested.
"I suppose", Donna mumbled. She reluctantly got up and followed the empath, 4 year old and the Doctor over to the doors. "You three are going to be the first humans who'll see this", the Time Lord said before he opened the doors.
"I'll admit seeing a star go supernova was amazing but this just tops it", Farah said gazing out at giant dust and gas clouds dotted with large rocks that would eventually come together and form the Earth. They spot a star shaped rock as it emerges through the dust and clouds.
"Is that…?" Donna asked.
"The Racnoss", the Doctor said looking at it. He quickly shut the doors and went back over to the console.
"They became the centre of the Earth", Farah said as they watched it on the monitor. Suddenly the TARDIS shook violently.
"What's happening?" Donna questioned. Before the Time Lord could respond, the empath suddenly said
"Thanks Sexy!"
"Fay what are you…" the Doctor began when she produced the Extrapolator, much to his surprise.
"Use this! It'll get us away from her", Farah cut in.
"Brilliant Fay!" the Time Lord said taking it from her. As the TARDIS started to materialize in the chamber, the Doctor whacked the Extrapolator. The blue box then reappeared in a corridor. The quartet left the TARDIS and ran down the corridor to the door which led to the Thames Flood Barrier.
"Now what do we do?" Donna asked, catching her breath.
"I don't know! I make it up as I go along!" the Time Lord admitted.
"Don't I know it", Farah muttered "You wing it but you always come through. Always".
The Doctor gave her a smile before producing a stethoscope. "But I don't understand. I'm full of particles. What for?" Donna questioned.
"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth but my people unravelled their power source", the Time Lord answered.
"So the Empress had Lance dose Donna with Huon particles to activate them. And then Miss Spider Lady will use them to power that web thing in the centre of the earth", Farah surmised.
"Couldn't have said it better myself", the Doctor remarked, turning to the door "have I told you that you're brilliant?"
The empath blushed "a couple of times", she mumbled.
"Well you really are brilliant", the Doctor declared and slipped into a rather long ramble. Unbeknownst to the Time Lord, a trio Pilot Fish had crept up behind them and grabbed all three females!
Farah could feel both Donna and Milie's fear steadily rising as they were being dragged along by the robots, hands clamped over their mouths. The 23 year old wriggled in her captor's grasp which only served for it to tighten its grip around her. "Hey!" a male voice called, causing the Pilot Fish to turn around, still holding onto their prisoners. Farah's eyes widened when she saw it was her good friend James Sven!
He fired three times and down the Pilot Fish went! Unfortunately they took Donna, Farah and Millie with them since they were still holding them captive. "Are you alright?" the dirty blond asked as he prised trio out of the robot's grasp.
"I am now", Donna replied "thanks to you".
"How about you…?" James enquired to the empath, purposefully pretending not to know her name.
"Farah and yes I'm fine", the ginger answered, rubbing her arms and wincing. An expression of concern flickered across James' face, completely missed by the empath.
"What about you, miss?" the dirty blond questioned, turning his attention to Millie.
"M'kay", the girl mumbled, clearly shaken by the ordeal making Farah draw her into an embrace.
"Thank you for the save…Mr…uh…" the 23 year old trailed off, keeping up the ruse of neither of them knowing the other.
"Sven. James Sven", the blond supplied "and you're welcome. Now you two better get back to the Doctor, he's gonna be worried. Plus…it's about to get a bit hectic around here" James tossed them a small device "give that to your friend. He'll know what to do with it".
"What is it?" Farah questioned.
"It'll remove the Huon particles from Donna. Now go!" James ordered. The empath nodded and the three took off.
"Who was that guy?" Donna asked as they ran "and how does he know the Doctor?"
"I don't know. Maybe they're old friends", Farah lied, silently thanking that she was the one with the empath abilities. Several loud explosions shook the place, causing her all but sling her goddaughter onto her back and picking up the pace.
Later…
"Here we are, home sweet home", the Doctor said when they stepped out of the TARDIS which appeared outside of Donna's house after dropping off Millie to her somewhat worried and angry mother. Oh, Mel wasn't angry at her daughter's auntie. No, she was mad at her husband's so called brother and his in ability to look after her little girl.
"Great", Donna mumbled, not too happy about having to face her family. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain to them about Lance…about any of it really. "Don't suppose you two would mind sticking around to help me explain everything to my folks?"
"Wish I could but I don't really do domestic", the Doctor admitted earning him a look from Farah. He seemed to be fine with it while he'd been staying at her house. Granted he was pretending to be her lodger but still…he should at least help come up with a story or something.
"You could just tell them that Lance ran off with some…lover", the empath suggested. It was better than telling them that he was in league with a giant alien spider lady and had been poisoning their daughter for months.
"That's probably the only thing they'll understand", Donna remarked and sighed "do you think James got out alright?" she asked the 23 year old.
"Hope so", Farah replied "we do owe him".
"I'd like to thank the man for saving you both", the Doctor added. When he found/ran into them, they'd told him about this man that had saved their lives. While he was surprised James Sven knew of him, his name was certainly not familiar, he was thankful that someone had helped Farah and Donna. Plus he appreciated the little device James had given them to safely extract the Huon particles from the ginger.
"You wouldn't happen to have a pen, would you?" the empath asked. The Time Lord nodded, producing one from his seemingly bottomless pockets. Farah wrote her number on Donna's hand "you ever fancy a chat, give me a call and maybe we could meet up. I am only from a few months into 2008", she said.
"I may take you up on that", the ginger bride said, rather touched that the empath wanted to keep in contact. She didn't really have that many friends.
"One last thing before you head inside", the Doctor said before flicking a switch just inside the TARDIS. A beam shot out from the light and exploded making snow fall down on top of them.
"I can't believe you did that!" Donna laughed.
"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation", the Doctor said casually as Farah held out her hands to catch some of the snow.
"It was really great to meet you Donna", Farah said deciding to head into the TARDIS as she was getting cold in her dress.
"Likewise", Donna said. When the ginger stepped into the blue box, Donna turned to the Doctor. "You must be happy to have her around", she commented. She wasn't stupid. Farah may have claimed they were friends but going by what she had seen over the course of the day, including the Doctor's reaction when he'd found them AND Millie's remarked about them being each other's 'special friends', she could tell there was something more. Even if they didn't know it.
"Yeah I am", the Doctor agreed looking back at the TARDIS.
"Your friend…the one you lost… what was her name?" the ginger tentatively asked.
"Rose. Her name was Rose", the Doctor replied.