Discoveries

by Lancelotlaureate

Paris 1911. Madame Curie is hiding from the gossip of a scandal. The Doctor and his friends cross her path.

The TARDIS rotor spluttered, whooshed, and creaked as it rose and fell. The intricate instruments inside the glass casing appeared to waltz as the machine moved and wheezed and finally began to settle. It was a regular occurrence for Ian and Barbara now, the landing of the TARDIS, having seen it happen on so many occasions in such a short passing of time. They'd been travellers in the strange time space machine since they'd followed their pupil Susan to Totter's Lane junkyard and the Doctor had decided to… well, for lack of better judgement; kidnap them! It had been many months since that day, and friendships had formed after a tempestuous beginning, but now just as the rotor had settled, so had the unwilling adventurers, and Ian and Barbara were always ready to face the next journey that awaited them.

Ian caught the Doctor's gaze and joined him at the hexagonal console, always knowing when the old man was signalling for his attention.

"Well, what do you think dear boy?" the Doctor asked as his chest puffed out in a nature of pomposity.

"About what, Doctor?"

The Doctor seemed annoyed with Ian's failure to immediately recognise what he was talking about. "The scanner, dear boy! The scanner!"

Ian narrowed his eyes and focused his attention to the television screen which hung high on the ship's wall. He was greeted with darkness. "What's wrong with it, Doctor? Surely that blackness isn't what's outside the ship?"

The Doctor shoved past his young friend and twisted some dials on the console as he circled it twice, trying to find the answers. "Of course it's not what's outside," he grumbled as he continued to pace back and forth around the console.

Starting to feel dizzy from watching the Doctor's energetic sprint around the room, Ian gripped the old man's shoulders and forced him to remain still. As his hands tightened around the Doctor's arm, there was a loss of light as the TARDIS bulbs began to flicker, and then started to turn on and off. The constant shift between light and dark made the Doctor's eyes twitch with annoyance.

"Doctor, why is the scanner broken? And why are all these lights flickering?"

"Oh dear, dear, can't you see Chesterfield, can't you understand? There is a system failure of some kind. Honestly infernal boy!"

Ian knew it was a grave situation when the Doctor started offending him and calling him 'Chesterfield'. He was about to offer an opinion when he was thrown off his feet as the ship jolted and the lights flickered on and off another time. As the main ship lights went out completely, Ian scrambled on the floor trying to find his bearings. From his position he called for his friends who he could hear rummaging about in the darkness. Barbara and Susan were fine and carefully made their way to the centre of the room where the Doctor stood upright at the console. The bright lights of the TARDIS were now replaced by an eerie green glow that resonated through the space and Susan rushed to her grandfather's side, her face aghast.

"I've never seen the TARDIS like this. Is she ill?" Susan asked.

The Doctor chuckled, his body shook erratically at her words, and he cuddled her for reassurance. He banged his fist down hard on the console and watched with amusement as with a jolt the ship returned to normal and the green glow filtered away until everything was back as it should be. "Oh I do beg your pardon. My fault! I think I merely pressed the wrong button, nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" Ian asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "You can't just pass it off like that!"

"Doctor, what was that?" asked Barbara.

"Nothing to worry about. Nothing to worry about."

The Doctor ignored the further pleas for an explanation and turned the scanner screen on again. This time the scanner seemed to be working, and the image on the screen was that of a city outside; a city with well structured buildings, beautiful architecture, and cobbled streets. It was Earth! Barbara's eyes gazed at the picture on the screen, her heartbeat raced with anticipation of the homecoming she'd long since desired. She looked to Ian; his face displayed the same excited expression. Had the Doctor got them home at last?

The Doctor smiled and puffed his chest out again as if he were a robin ready to take flight. He seemed satisfied with the image on the scanner and motioned to Susan to open the doors. As Susan flicked the switch that wonderfully opened the doors in the majestic way they were accustomed to, the travellers made their way to the entrance ready to embark.

Barbara led the way from the ship and her hand instinctively found Ian's. They looked at one another for a moment, a glance of mutual curiosity and hope that this time it was better news.

"I wonder where we are," Susan said as she shut the TARDIS doors behind her and tucked the TARDIS key into her blouse.

"And when," Ian added.

The Doctor reached out and patted the wall that the ship had materialised against. He felt the texture beneath his fingers and nodded as if it somehow told him anything about their location. He started to sniff the air too, scrunching up his nose like a small animal. "I'd say this was Europe," he said, trying not to let on it that it was a rough and ready guess. "Sometime in the past."

Barbara nudged him. "I'd say Paris in about 1911."

Her three friends turned to face her, rather impressed by the sheer speed of which the history teacher could recognise their whereabouts.

Susan giggled. "How do you know, Barbara?"

"She really knows her stuff, this one," Ian added.

Barbara started to laugh. "Well, yes, that and the fact that this poster behind me says so."

The Doctor pushed Barbara aside as he, Ian, and Susan stared hard at the sepia toned poster on the wall. It was some sort of advertisement for a magic show and there were two performances in November 1911. Ian started to laugh. "Looks like a good show; perhaps we should get some tickets."

…

Ian sniffed the air and took a concentrated look into the distance. It was a city with grandiose buildings, and one that in particular told them instantly of their whereabouts. As the Palace of Westminster graced the skyline of their own home city, the Eiffel Tower did the same for Paris, and though Ian had seen it before it never failed to captivate his senses as he stared at the structure towering into the clouds.

"Well, looks like we've arrived in Paris again Doctor," he said.

"My, my," the Doctor began with a chuckle. "Yes, yes, look at that. Well now that is promising."

"How do you mean, Doctor?"

"Because Chesterton if the TARDIS has arrived in Paris once again then something is working, is it not? The ship has managed to retrace a previous location. Hmm yes, how very promising."

Ian and Barbara nodded to show him they understood, but they hardly felt in the mood for a lecture on the TARDIS's navigational systems, especially since the Doctor had neglected to explain the ship's previous malfunction with the lights. They knew the ship was temperamental, knew it was as complex and alien as the Doctor himself, but sometimes the explanation of how and why they were not home was too much to bear. Usually they were two people who needed the reassurance of why things happened or didn't happen, but for now they didn't want the news to bother them; they weren't home- they didn't know how or why, but it was the cold reality that they had to deal with time and time again. The adventures continued and they were both surprised they didn't feel as saddened as they should have. Perhaps they were used to it.

"Well seems a shame to waste a trip around Paris," the Doctor said as he ushered his fellow travellers back inside the blue box which like themselves stood so out of place in the city. "Perhaps we should get properly kitted out."

…

When the travellers emerged from their box that was bigger on the inside, they all resembled middle class folk of the time period. They glanced at each other in amusement, all impressed with their fine new outfits. Ian looked ever the dapper gentleman in a long coat, smart trousers, and a top hat to complete his ensemble. The ladies wore long skirts, and tucked into them were buttoned up blouses. They both wore elegant hats and laughed at each other as they made poses and pretended to be at the Royal Ascot. The Doctor didn't appear to look much different. He wore his usual frock coat and trousers, but had simply added a hat and a different colour neck tie to accessorise.

…

Later, across the city in a Parisian bistro, the Doctor and his team sat at a table by the window, each drinking a cup of coffee as they watched the passers by flit about the city in their routinely day to day lives. Susan's eyes blazed with excitement as she observed a couple on the next table cosily whispering to each other, trying to be discreet but hardly concealing their passions for one another. They're having an affair! She thought as she mused cheekily about all the secret liaisons the pair may have had around various locales of Paris.

For many years Susan had thought Paris a romantic city and one she'd love to spend time in. She'd seen the city a fair few times so it was nothing new to her, but she had still to learn about it, something she'd not had the opportunity to on her previous adventures there. Some terrifying ordeal had always interfered with the fun side of travelling.

"Let's hope this trip doesn't see us led away to 'Madame Guillotine'," Ian said, almost as if he had read her mind.

"I'm hoping for a proper holiday this time," Barbara added as she sipped some of her coffee. "No chain gangs and no dark prison cells."

"Travelling with you should come with an insurance policy, Doctor," Ian said. "Compensation for every time we get locked up by the 'Old Bill'."

Barbara nudged the old man playfully from across the table. "It's always dashing about with you isn't it Doctor, running away from trouble?"

…

She ran. The men and women had started to follow her from the market place, gathering around and pointing at her with accusing fingers. Little children stopped to stare, their eyes fixated on the woman their parents scorned and mocked. She ran faster, hoisting her long dress up slightly so she didn't trip upon the layers, and she didn't look back at the crowd behind her. They'd broken her window already, made her cower in fear. She tried to lose them and shake them away, but with each step she heard the venomous words they shouted in her direction, insults flying through the air and striking her. "Leave me alone!" the woman shouted as she took a moment to stop and catch her breath. "Don't you hear me?"

…

"Don't you hear me, Doctor?" Ian asked. "We're talking to you."

"Hmm?" the Doctor said, his attentions drawn toward the newspaper rather than Ian. "Sorry, dear boy, no. I was more taken with this headline here."

Ian looked over at the crumpled newspaper and read the words strewn across the page. "Looks like nasty slurs about Madame Curie, something about a love affair with a married man. Yes, I think I heard about this."

He examined the paper as he carefully took it from the Doctor's grasp, reading the article with great fascination. Barbara began to read it over Ian's shoulder, shoving him when he tried to turn the page before she'd finished.

"Madame Curie," Ian said in astonishment. "I can't believe I'm reading about Madame Curie in a newspaper."

Barbara stirred her coffee with a sudden quickness of pace, the spoon circling the cup making a loud clang as the spoon collided harshly with the side. "I think it's awful the way poor Madame Curie was treated. After all, she was a widow at that time and was not doing anything wrong technically."

"You mean she is a widow at this time my dear. This is happening all around us as we sit here. Madame Curie is at this very moment shunned from all these people, and her private life displayed on the pages for others to amuse themselves upon."

"Yes well things have always been that way," Ian began as he set the paper down next to him. "And they're only likely to get worse. The worst crime of course is the way Marie's scientific work is being demeaned because of some completely unrelated scandal."

"It's horrible," Barbara replied, throwing the spoon onto the table. "If only there were something we could do for her."

"And we know now that we cannot, don't we my dear?" the Doctor said with a rueful look at his friend.

"Yes Doctor, don't worry. I've learnt enough about time travel to know when to leave well alone."

They shared a slight laugh, but rather than joining in with them, Susan was sitting quietly, her head resting in her hands. The drink she'd ordered had barely been touched and the food went uneaten. Susan's appetite had always been a great one so that was enough for the Doctor to be concerned.

"What is it my dear, what's the matter?" the Doctor asked as he patted his granddaughter on the arm gently. She snapped from her trance and looked up. Her eyes seemed tired, and her hand was still rubbing her forehead as though trying to relieve pain.

"I don't think Paris quite agrees with me."

The Doctor touched Susan's forehead and sighed. "You're a little hot my dear, but I don't think its anything to worry about. Do you want to return to the ship?"

"Oh no, Grandfather, no. I'll be alright. I don't want to miss Paris this time. I'm sure it'll pass. Anyway, what were we talking about?"

"Madame Curie," Ian began. "She's like Marilyn Monroe isn't she? She's the celebrity of the day."

"Yes," Susan said. "I expect everyone wants to meet her."

…

Marie Curie, shrouded by a cloak, attempted to walk more quickly to avoid the pack of men and women that followed her through the streets shouting her name and trying to intimidate her. They were regular folk wanting sensationalism, and she was their latest celebrity victim. She waved them off with her hand and continued to walk.

"Madame Curie!" a man said as he chased after her, standing almost directly beside her. She could feel his breath on her neck.

"I asked you to leave me be, that's all I ask of you. Now please will you be gentlemen instead of beasts?"

…

The sun had set only an hour earlier but already the bitter night chill had started to accumulate around the city streets, and people were beginning to retire to their homes and places of considerably more warmth after the long working day. The sound of horses was one Barbara liked very much. It reminded her of the hours she had spent riding horses at a little farm in the country when she was a child; some of those days had been the happiest of her life. For now those memories seemed so distant.

Noticing she was lost in her thoughts, Ian gave her a swift nudge. "Barbara?"

"Yes?"

"We need to get going. It's Susan, she's not doing too well I'm afraid."

She looked over to the young girl who was sitting quietly on the pavement with her head buried in her hands. The walk from the bistro had exhausted her and she'd struggled to keep the pace. Barbara hadn't realised how bad it was and felt particularly guilty for not noticing how grave the situation had become. Susan managed to lift her head to look at her, but it was pale and ashen.

"What's the matter with her?" asked Barbara. "Is it the same virus as the last time we were here? Perhaps she's not fully recovered."

"I'm not sure my dear, it feels different," the Doctor said as he felt Susan's brow. "It's burning hot, I'm concerned."

"Flu, Doctor?" Ian asked.

The old man thought for a moment. His index finger and his thumb made contact with his chin in the way it did when he was considering something. His eyes darted back and forth as the others waited for his response. "I'm not sure my boy, I'm not sure. It could be a case of influenza as you suggest but…"

He sat down next to Susan and placed his arms around her in a protective hug. "Now Susan, I don't want you to worry. I'm sure it's just a cold. We'll have you back to your normal self in no time, hmm?"

Susan lifted her head, making an effort to thank him but she couldn't quite manage it and forced a smile instead, burying her face in his coat.

"We should get her back to the TARDIS," Barbara said. "You must have some medication in there for her."

Ian looked at the Doctor but there was hesitancy in his expression. "Doctor, shall we go back to the ship?"

The Doctor's fingers clutched his frock coat lapels and he twiddled them erratically. Ian and Barbara exchanged mutual worried glances.

"Doctor you do know where the ship is, don't you?" Barbara began but before she could get a word out of the wily old man, there were the sounds of a woman's scream, and then that of many voices shouting from across the street.

…

"But Madame, just a word or two from you about your relationship with Monsieur Langevin, perhaps you could tell us about this double life you lead?"

"I wish to move along, no questions will be answered Monsieur. I bid you goodnight and will be so obliged if you let me past," the woman responded with an upmost dignity and grace.

There was a rage in her that she held deep inside, below the surface, buried far beneath; fighting to escape. It was so intense that she felt as though it could bubble up and boil over like the chemistry beaker with its solution left to cause havoc in an unattended laboratory. She also felt a deep sadness, so painful, so betrayed, that she felt the tears rising to the corners of her eyes ready to escape and send rolling onto her cold and weary cheeks. She'd been brave in the recent days but one could only be pushed so far. She was human, only human, though many treated her like a monster, and she wondered if she indeed herself was becoming one, so cast aside, roaming through the Paris streets at night just to avoid the crowds; the packs of wild animals. It was never safe for a lady to walk alone at night, but it had become so unsafe for her to walk alone in the day. All she wanted was release, a refuge, a friendly face, and a hand to lead her from the despair back to the life she had worked so hard to build for herself- the life of hard work and achievement. Had all of that merit been reduced to some mindless gossip, though it was true? Was it all over because of her love for another? For a passion that should have been kept secret?

"I say leave me!" she cried out.

…

As Susan breathed slowly under the instruction of Barbara- Ian and the Doctor turned to where the noise was coming from. They could see the woman now- the one who had cried out- and she was being backed against a wall as though she were cattle. She held her arms out in front of her, trying hard to force the crowd away.

Ian's eyes blazed with anger. "Doctor, it's a woman, she's being assaulted!" he shouted as he watched the commotion unfold across the street. "We must help her!"

He had started to move but the Doctor pulled him back by his coat sleeve. "Be careful, dear boy, they outnumber you quite considerably."

Ian nodded as if he acknowledged the warning, but it was never in his nature to let another human being suffer if there was a chance he could help. He raced across the road with the Doctor a few paces behind, the old man struggling to keep up with his more vigorous companion.

When Ian arrived at the scene, the woman was distressed and angry and still holding her arms out in defiance. He pushed his way through the crowd and stood beside her, holding one pestering man back with his hand. "Why do you harass this lady?" he asked with a stern and angry voice. He saw the Doctor joining him at last. The Doctor waved his walking stick out in front of him with an air of authority, and the crowd parted before him- though they were not in the least bit amused that he had somehow ruined their entertainment.

One of the men addressed Ian and the Doctor. "We just want the story in her own words Monsieur, no harm was going to come of it."

"No harm?" the Doctor said. He slammed his walking stick onto the ground furiously. "No harm, but what of this lady? She is one woman against the lot of you."

"They do not frighten me sir," the woman replied. "I just wish to be left alone."

"You heard the lady," Ian said, ushering the group away. "Move along, you've had your fun."

The crowd booed and hissed as Ian threatened to telephone the police, and the Doctor waved his stick at them, showing them who was boss and letting them know he was not backing down.

One of the men hissed and scowled. "We only wanted to hear from Madame Curie herself. Perhaps she can't even admit the truth."

The Doctor stood with his hands grasping his lapels as the crowd slowly dispersed and only the sounds of disgruntled folk could be heard as they became distant and then were gone completely. They all took a moment to take in what had happened and catch their breath before Ian turned to look at the famous scientist who was standing before him. He gulped as he stared at the woman's face in surprise. Madame Curie! He couldn't believe it. The woman standing beside the Doctor, the woman harassed in the street was the scientist he'd long since admired. He never in his wildest dreams expected to meet her in person and he stared at her for a moment, his mouth gaped open. Marie looked at him and wondered why he did not scorn her like the other men she'd encountered.

"Madame Curie I wasn't aware it was you," Ian said, stammering as though he'd come face to face with a Hollywood film star of his own day. He put out his hand for her to shake, but she made no attempt to return the gesture.

"Well then you must be the only one in Paris," she sighed. "Now thank you for your help. I wish you both good night now."

"But my dear Madame," the Doctor interjected with a warm smile. "We are fans of yours. Why you are one of the most influential scientists of this period, and of all time in fact."

"What is it you are after old man? Words of praise will not get you a story."

"Oh Madame you are so used to scorn of late that you've forgotten what its like for sincerity. I assure you, my young friend and I are fans of yours. We are admirers of your work and we are both scientists ourselves. We do not pester you for inane stories that are none of our business."

Marie's eyebrow rose with uncertainty and she stared hard at the old man's face. There was harshness in his demeanour yet there was sincerity in his eyes, one that sparked her interest. She was hesitant to be merry with them right away however, but she agreed to talk with them as their scientific qualifications intrigued her.

"You say you are scientists?" she asked. There was a definite lack of trust in her voice.

Before Marie had another opportunity to ask more about the scientific backgrounds of the two men, Barbara and Susan had crossed the street and Susan was finding it difficult to keep her eyes open. Barbara supported her, but every few steps Susan's legs had nearly given way and her older friend had had to prop her up every time. Ian looked concerned and ruffled Susan's hair in an attempt to cheer her up.

"Not feeling too clever are you Susan?" Ian asked.

Barbara nodded to Ian as the Doctor patted his granddaughter's arm.

"I think she needs a good night's sleep," Barbara said as her eyes drifted to the direction of Madame Curie. She didn't know who the woman was, only that the Doctor and Ian had gone to assist her, but her face was rather stern, and she was wearing a black dress that made her appear as though she were in mourning. Though it was lined by age, her face had a youthful glow to it, and Barbara recognised the deep set eyes and serious expression.

"Who's this?" she asked.

Marie looked Barbara up and down in return, unsure of her intentions. "I could ask you the same question."

Ian grabbed Barbara's arm excitedly and nudged her in the ribs. He whispered into her ear. "It's Madame Curie, Barbara; we're talking to Madame Curie."

Barbara's face flushed, no wonder she had recognised her! She'd been looking at her picture in the paper only hours earlier. "Oh I am sorry. It's lovely to meet you Madame Curie."

Susan's legs gained momentum and her once sunken tired eyes twinkled with wonder as she stared at the scientist her grandfather had told her about growing up.

"Madame Curie?" she said, suddenly filled with delight. "But your work with… radium…and…"

She saw a disapproving look from her grandfather and she stopped mid sentence. Marie looked at the four strangers. She wasn't sure what to make of them or their intentions towards her. They acted and spoke in strange ways and had a familiarity with one another that seemed very modern.

"As I tried to ask before…are you a scientist?" she asked looking at the Doctor, and eagerly awaiting a response from a potential scientific mind that equated with hers.

The Doctor chuckled. "Oh my dear, I am most rude for not introducing us all. I am the Doctor, I…" there was a brief pause as he tried to concoct an alias. "I am a scientist at Oxford University. This is my esteemed colleague Dr. Ian Chesterton…professor of chemistry."

Ian bowed. He wasn't really sure why, but he suddenly felt rather honoured at his new title, even if it was mostly a lie.

"And this is my granddaughter Susan, she's quite the academic herself and I predict wonderful things for her when she gets older. Finally, this lovely lady is Mrs. Barbara Chesterton, good wife to Ian," he continued as he gestured towards his female companion with a cheeky smile. Barbara waited for him to continue with a list of her achievements but as she waited she realised he had stopped speaking completely. She coughed loudly and prodded the old man. The Doctor looked at her and sheepishly resumed his introductions. "Oh… yes of course…and Barbara is also a scholar herself. She's well studied in the rich history of this good Earth."

"I'm a professor at Oxford as well," Barbara said, beefing up her qualifications in an attempt to have some fun. If the Doctor could do it, so could she!

Marie was taken aback by Barbara's revelation; her eyebrow had risen in surprise. "Oh I hadn't realised Oxford had female professors yet," she told Barbara.

"Oh...well…they made an exception for me."

Ian sniggered beside her, laughing to himself at how she never liked to be left out. She was generally so modest but even Barbara could occasionally get carried away.

"Well it's nice to meet you all," Marie replied. "But I'm afraid I will not be able to talk further with you. Other people may try to harass me if I stay out too long."

"I think it's horrible," Barbara said with sympathy. "We're very sorry for your troubles Madame."

There was a sudden squeak from Susan as she held her hands out in front of her in distress. "A man! A man is staring at me! He wants to talk. He thinks I'm someone else," she said as though she were talking to an apparition. They turned to look at the spot where Susan was pointing but there was nothing there, just the dark of an empty street with a dim streetlamp. As all attention turned back to her she collapsed against Barbara, her legs giving way again until her teacher was the sole support. Ian instinctively went to assist and picked her up into his arms, ready to carry her to their next destination.

"What's the matter with the girl?" Marie asked. "I hope it's nothing serious."

The Doctor patted his granddaughter on the head in unease, his merriment at meeting Marie had faded the moment his granddaughter had taken a turn for the worse.

"She's come down with something. I'm afraid she's too ill to make the way back to our home. Perhaps we ought to find a hotel for the night, Chesterton, somewhere closer. It's too dark now to worry about finding the ship."

"I think you may be right Doctor," Ian said.

Marie hesitated. "You may bring the girl to my home. In the morning you can decide what to do. It's late and you'll need to get some rest. I wouldn't want the girl to freeze in the Paris night."

"That's awfully kind of you Madame," Barbara told her. "You won't even notice we're there, we promise."

"I have daughters myself; I would not like to see them turned away by another. Follow me but keep quiet."

…

Marie had kindly offered the spare bedroom for Susan to recuperate in, and Barbara had taken on nursing duties for the evening. She tucked the covers around Susan and gently wrapped them around her shivering body. Once upon a time Susan had been just another pupil at Coal Hill School but now she was so much more to Barbara. She was someone who she protected and mothered and felt very responsible for her even though she was very aware that Susan was growing up fast and her intelligence was far greater than her own. Susan fidgeted in the bed covers. The material made her itch and did nothing to keep out the cold of the room.

"Oh when was artificial heating invented?" Susan asked, managing to let out some shivered whispers.

"Not yet," Barbara said. "So you'll just have to make do I'm afraid. Now there's a cold flannel next to you if you get a temperature and there's water in a jug just there if you get thirsty in the night."

"I don't want to be a burden."

"Nonsense," Barbara said as she sat down on the bed beside her. "We all need help when we're ill."

She placed the cold flannel across Susan's forehead. "What did you see in the street Susan?"

"A man. He was from this time period. He was in some kind of laboratory. He was very handsome, and older than Ian. He kept saying he loved me…" she giggled.

"Yes, well let's not mention anything about older men to your grandfather. We wouldn't want to startle him would we?"

Susan giggled wearily. "No, I suppose not."

…

By the glow of a roaring fire, the Doctor sat in a comfy armchair looking at the orange flame as it flickered and fizzed. He was always quiet when observing something so natural and beautiful. Ian watched him from the other chair and wondered what the old man was thinking about. He had known the Doctor a while and understood many things about him, but there was still so much he kept secret, so many details he left unsaid- he was the biggest enigma. Ian sensed that Marie had found the Doctor intriguing too. She sat across from him, rocking back and forth on a creaky old rocking chair, a tatty blanket draped over her knees and a china cup in her hands. Ian in contrast found all the silence unbearable and awkward. He fidgeted clumsily in his chair as he mustered up the courage to engage Marie in a meaningful conversation. All the way back to the house he'd only managed to splutter a variation of garbled compliments.

"So, Madame…" he stammered. "Your work is very inspirational to me."

Marie forced a smile; she still seemed unsure of his intentions and was reluctant to talk. "So you've told me, Dr. Chesterton. I am most grateful however for your kindness."

"Oh call me Ian," he replied with a warm and slightly creepy smile.

"Maybe that's a bit too informal for a man I have just met, Monsieur."

Ian tried not to feel rejected and nodded in agreement. He didn't wish to offend her, and he could see she was still affected by the events of that night.

"So what is your area of expertise? I have forgotten." Marie asked him.

"Chemistry."

"A fine subject. And you Doctor?"

The Doctor looked to her. "Hmm? Oh yes, well I'm a Doctor of all things my dear. I dabble one might say."

"Dabble is the right word," Ian said. "Tell me Madame, what did it feel like to win the Nobel Prize?"

Marie smiled as she recalled the moment. "It was a great honour, though not as great a feeling as when a discovery is made. Years of hard work resulting in success is all any scientist can ask for. Isn't that right?"

Ian and the Doctor nodded at the same time, quite in agreement and awe. The Doctor was looking at Marie with a sparkle in his eyes. He was thoroughly engrossed with all she was saying, and for the next ten minutes she spoke fondly of her achievements in her work with radium and uranium. Hearing her speak made Ian realise how much he missed working in the lab himself, how much he missed teaching science, the smell of the sulphur, the feel of the litmus paper between his fingers, the unique moment a pupil would understand the experiment. In those moments Ian felt a connection to science, and now he felt a connection to Marie.

"I'm boring you, Doctor," Marie said as he yawned in front of her.

"Oh no, no my dear, I do apologise. I'm very tired and a little worried about Susan."

There was a faint knock on the door and Barbara crept into the room and carefully shut the door behind her. "Susan's finally asleep," she said.

"I do hope the child feels better soon," Marie added.

Ian looked up at Barbara who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, hovering uncomfortably, far too polite to ask someone to give up their seat.

"You're making me feel sick Barbara," he said. "Have my seat if you like."

"Oh no, I'm fine," she replied, adding that she was not going to make him stand on her account.

"I do apologise for the lack of seating but it's usually only me and my daughters, and a few visitors from time to time. I'm rarely at home at all. This has been quite the experience, home all this time, not working."

The Doctor nodded and then noticed that both Ian and Barbara were standing, trying to get the other to sit down. He grumbled and pushed Ian onto the chair and then motioned for Barbara to sit on Ian's lap. "You are husband and wife after all," he said trying to remind them of their fake matrimony. Ian and Barbara looked at one another awkwardly.

"Come, come," Marie said with cheer. "Do not worry on my account. It is perfectly fine for you two to be cosy with one another in my presence."

"But I thought it might make you feel…" Barbara began but cut herself off.

"Lonely?" Marie finished for her. "I'm always lonely in some respect. Aren't we all?"

"You must really miss your husband," Barbara said as she awkwardly perched herself on the edge of Ian's knee.

Marie looked up from her tea and gazed at the fire and its roaring flames as she spoke. "Very much so. I miss the way we were together, someone to sit across from in the cold evening, a hand to hold, someone to tell your discoveries to. It all seems so long ago and at the same time as if it were yesterday."

"I admired Pierre very much," Ian said. "I suppose your experience in magnetism came in handy when you first met eh?"

He was greeted with a stony silence, and a frosty glare from Barbara. He promptly decided to stop talking.

…

Marie fidgeted in her bed. Her mind raced with sudden dreams, sudden images filling her head, images of things she had never seen before, never even thought were possible. She thrashed about under the blankets, her eyelids flickering as she fought against the wildness and evil in her nightmare.

She could see them coming toward her, could see the metal cases with the eyestalk turning to face her. She could hear the high pitched hysterical voice screaming at her- and then an acid sea stretched around a beautiful but decaying island. Little dart shaped vessels arrived from the acid sea onto the shoreline in complete silence. She could see it so clearly, she could see the man emerge from the vessel with the protective suit on, and the strange symbol on the top of his unusual masked head. It left a series of weird shapes in the sand as it trod ever closer to her. It raised a knife in her direction, started to bring it down upon her. Marie's eyes opened and she shot up out of her covers, and sat upon the edge of the bed, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room as she did so, desperately trying to make sure she was awake. This time the darkness was genuine, she was back in the real world, but it still felt so lonely.

…

"Oh Susan my dear I'm glad you're feeling brighter this morning," the Doctor said as he helped her into a chair at the table. He started fussing, pouring her some milk, and handing her a plate of bread and butter. "You must eat my dear, get your strength up."

Susan giggled and rested her head on his shoulder. "Oh Grandfather, I could get used to being waited on. Thank you for the breakfast Marie. I'm awfully hungry."

Marie smiled quickly and then returned to her book. Her eyes tried to focus on the words in the novel rather than the pictures from the nightmare she'd had in the darkness. The Doctor hadn't noticed Marie's demeanour and had spent much of the morning perusing many of Marie's books and papers but also neglecting to tidy any of them away afterwards. Susan on the other hand could sense that Marie was not quite herself.

"Madame, are you feeling alright? You look very pale and pre-occupied?"

Marie looked up at her guests, her face etched with tiredness and anxiety. "Oh, I didn't sleep too well. I had terrible nightmares."

"Nightmares come and go," the Doctor said dismissively, waving his handkerchief in her direction and getting back to his breakfast.

"It's rather odd though, you and I both having nightmares last night," Susan began. "What were yours about if you don't mind my asking?"

"Terrible things…"

Marie explained all about the metal monsters and acid seas she had seen in her dreams. She told them with such detail of the look and design of every creature and every planet- the Daleks, the Voord, the Sensorites. She described them all in every way but not by name. The Doctor and Susan exchanged surprised glances.

"My dear Madame, these dreams seem very frightening indeed, yes very frightening. Susan, perhaps you and I should have a little talk after breakfast, hmmm?"

…

The walk back from the market had been rather pleasant and Ian and Barbara were glad to get out of the house for some fresh air and away from the mess that had accumulated since the Doctor had decided to talk in depth with Marie about science, leading to rooms full of books on the floor, and scrunched up paper on the chairs; and of course he'd not lifted a finger to clean it all! Barbara wondered how Marie hadn't thrown them out yet, she was obviously a woman with great patience.

The sun was shining and it was a mild day, but there were some grey clouds in the sky indicating stormy weather approaching. Barbara didn't mind though, she enjoyed the walk and took a moment to gaze at the history displayed all around her.

"This time was a remarkable period," she said as she linked her arms through Ian's.

He smiled. "I know what you mean; everything was happening, inventions and science, discoveries and dreams being made."

"It's not a perfect time to live but it's fascinating."

Ian laughed and tapped her playfully. "At least it's brighter than a Monday morning in Shoreditch."

"Yes but I'd still trade the sunshine to be back there once again."

Ian noticed the sadness in her voice and he stopped his gentle teasing. He took her hand and led her to a wall where they sat for a moment. "We can get back to the house a bit late," he said looking at her with warmth. "Are you alright Barbara? Did I upset you?"

"It's just this situation with Marie got me thinking."

"How do you mean?"

"Oh the newspapers, the people fascinated by her life. Do you ever wonder what's happening back home, what they're saying about us?"

"Oh I see. I try not to think about it too often," Ian began as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I suppose there must have been talk, speculation. We did just disappear like that."

"I hate the idea that everyone thinks we just ran away without a word."

"Do you suppose they assume we ran off together?"

Barbara looked across at her friend and felt a flush of embarrassment. Of course the idea had come to her many times but she'd never mentioned it to him before.

"Well I suppose it could be worse than that. They could think I murdered you!" he said.

Barbara smiled. She pushed some dust off his jacket sleeve and then tapped him playfully on his knee. He smiled back at her.

One day they would get home he thought. They might get home late and they would have to face the music, face the consequences of following Susan home that night in 1963. Marie Curie was in the public eye, her personal life plastered over the papers, it may have been 1911, but really things weren't so different.

…

As the day progressed and the breakfast was cleared away, the Doctor and Susan were in the hallway having a long discussion about Marie's dreams. Susan was concerned and had told her grandfather all about her own dream, the images of laboratories and the green glow of the room, the friendly face of a man in clothing of the period, a man she assumed had been Marie's husband Pierre.

"Why was I dreaming of her memories, Grandfather, and why was she dreaming mine?"

The Doctor didn't have an answer. He gently hushed Susan and slowly opened the living room door. The door creaked slightly as he did so but Marie didn't hear him. He could see her hunched over at the table clutching a notebook but also rubbing her forehead in the way Susan had done the previous day.

"This is more severe than I thought, my child. I fear that whatever virus you've contracted has somehow been transferred to Marie."

Susan looked through the slight gap in the semi-open door. "It's not so strange, Grandfather," she whispered. "She's been vulnerable and tired."

The Doctor slowly closed the door and hid him and Susan from sight, trying to keep his voice down in the process. "Yes, yes, all those things are true. But Susan, Marie is also seeing things she should never have seen- images of Daleks, and seas of Marinus. It might get worse. Remember she is only a human with a human mind; albeit a very intelligent one."

"The telepathy! Grandfather, it must be something to do with my telepathy. I could feel Marie's mind was open. She is so eager to explore new ideas. She must have received my thoughts."

The Doctor scratched his chin. "And this virus of yours has somehow manifested itself deep within the mind, and somehow passed on the symptoms to another. Fascinating! "

"But could it damage her? The Sensorites' mind power was so powerful against John, remember?"

"Yes, my dear, I'm afraid it's very serious. I think we need to get her to the ship, analyse her and treat her if necessary. The virus itself may be non-threatening, after all you seem to have recovered well, but it's the mind illusions I'm worried about and her ability to cope with them."

"We can't just invite her inside!" Susan exclaimed. Her concern was interrupted by a loud thud from inside the living room. The Doctor and his granddaughter looked at each other and slowly opened the door. On the floor, Marie lay peacefully across the carpet, her notebook lying beside her as though she didn't dare to let her secrets go.

"We may not have to, my dear," the Doctor said gravely. "Come on, you grab her legs, I'll grab her arms."

…

The Doctor and Susan shuffled through the streets of Paris, huffing and puffing as they carried Marie across the long stretch of road. Susan had covered Marie in a blanket and placed a head scarf around her face slightly to obscure her identity, but it was clear that they had started to attract attention.

"Not to worry, not to worry, the lady here is being transported to a local hospital and will be quite alright," the Doctor chuckled nervously at the crowd.

He was struggling to carry her and Susan pestered him every few paces that they needed to hurry before someone called the police.

Ian and Barbara who had just finished their long walk from the market, had their hands filled with baskets of food when they turned a corner just in time to see their friends carrying the body of a woman along the street. They both dropped their baskets at the same time, the road now littered with a loaf of bread, some apples, and a cabbage. The teachers slowly glanced at one another both hardly able to believe what they were seeing in front of them. They raced forward and stopped the Doctor in his tracks.

"Doctor? What on earth is going on here?" Ian demanded. "Have you killed her? Tell me you haven't killed Madame Curie in 1911?"

"No Chesterton, she's not dead, and could you stop raising your voice and help me get her to the TARDIS?"

Ian and Barbara assisted their friends to carry Marie, each carefully holding one limb each.

"Doctor, she's unconscious, what happened?" Barbara asked.

"I'll explain when we get to the ship; now stop talking all of you."

Barbara had an uneasy feeling and started to regret leaving the Doctor alone with Marie. After all he lectured her about re-writing history, she was fairly certain that the famous Madame Curie had never vanished inside a police telephone box.

…

Barbara and Ian sat by Marie's makeshift bed in the console room of the TARDIS. The hum of the ship seemed to remind them of hospital machinery. Marie was still unconscious, her face displayed no sign of life, and Barbara sighed unhappily as she touched Marie's hand gently.

"What are we going to do?" she asked with a crack of sadness and fear in her voice. "What if she doesn't recover? We'll have changed everything and it'll be our own fault."

Ian fist bopped Barbara's chin until he saw a tiny smirk from his friend. "Let's not give up eh? The Doctor and Susan might just find out what's going on. They know more about this telepathy lark than we do."

Without warning, the ship was plunged into semi darkness and a green glow began to resonate from the hexagonal console. They had only seen it happen once before, just before they arrived in Paris, and when it did, the Doctor had mentioned it being because the systems were malfunctioning. The presence of the phenomenon a second time was enough to alert Ian and Barbara to a possible danger.

"I really think we should get the Doctor," Barbara said. "Just in case."

The door to the console room shut behind them as they left, and the noise awoke the sleeping Madame Curie. Her eyes flickered for a moment before they opened. The first thing she saw was the ghostly green glow that illuminated the room, with shadows dancing across the walls like skipping fairies.

"Pierre, it's so beautiful," she said softly as she got down off the bed. She rubbed her throbbing head and steadied herself. She hadn't remembered taking a rest, though she felt tired enough to sleep for days.

She could hear the vibration of machinery around her, and her eyes darted about the room realising that she was not in her laboratory with her husband, but was in fact in some completely alien territory, a dreamscape; something one would conjure up in the deepest recesses of the human mind. And yet the eerie green glow seemed so familiar and safe that for a moment she wondered whether she was back with Pierre, back in time, back to the days she remembered so well. She stepped forward shakily; looking around at the sheer size of what she now assumed was another laboratory, though much more advanced than her own. There were buttons and levers on every control panel and there was a large console right in the centre of the room. It seemed to be the focal point and had a large glass casing on the top which enclosed a mass of machinery that joined together and connected like clockwork.

The main lights of the ship flickered on and off for a few moments. Marie's heart beat quickened as she wondered what was happening. Finally the lights settled and they remained bright and clear so that at last the ship was visible in every aspect, and was no longer filled with the uncanny green glow. Marie twirled on the spot, her eyes reflecting the colours that shone in them from every red button, and every flash of life from the machines. She moved to the console, her hand shaking with fear, and her heart quickening with excitement.

Her hand lightly stroked the central console. Her fingers touched the panel with care and affection. She circled the console, her eyes drawn downwards to every button before her. She stopped at the radiation counter, the little hand dial was set inside the glass case on top of the panel. She ran her hand across it, her fingers passed over the writing.

"Radiation," she let out with a whisper.

…

As the door slid open and the others returned, they were surprised to find Marie on her feet, glancing at the console and no longer ill upon the bed. The Doctor approached her with trepidation, trying not to startle her. "My dear," he started. "Are you feeling better? You gave us quite a fright hmmm?"

Marie stepped back one pace. Her finger outstretched toward him in a manner of accusation. For all she had seen in front of her, all the beauty, it still couldn't explain the Doctor and who he was.

"I don't know where you've brought me!" she cried. "But I demand that you take me home."

Barbara tried to be the voice of reason as she approached Marie and calmly motioned that she was not going to cause her any harm. "Madame, we know this must be a shock, believe me, I was shocked too when I stood where you are now. Let the Doctor explain, please?"

Marie nodded and allowed the travellers to approach her. They circled but made no attempt to touch or crowd her.

"Where am I?" she asked again.

"This is my vessel," the Doctor told her. "I call it TARDIS. It is capable of crossing the boundaries of time and space."

Marie turned away. "You mock me with science that seems impossible. I tell you my vivid dreams and you decide to use them against me. It's a trick."

"That's not it Madame," the Doctor began gently. "Not all things can be reasoned, there are always things to be discovered, and you know that well yourself. What you see here is science from far beyond your own time. Impossible from where you are, but reality for me."

"You're telling me that you have discovered a way of travelling through other dimensions, that time and space are so easily accessible? Why should I believe you?"

"Because it excites you," Ian told her. "You see something you can't explain and you want to explain it."

Marie sat down on the bed, her hands supporting her weakened body as pain surged through her and she tried to comprehend what the strangers had told her. "What has happened to me?"

"A virus. It's nothing too serious I believe. Susan and I carried out some tests and I can see you making a full recovery in time," the Doctor told her.

"And that's why you brought me here, to save me?"

"Yes," Susan said. "You're much too important Marie, not just to us, but to the people in your own time."

Marie snorted and turned her head away. "Why should I be of more importance than another?"

"I didn't mean it quite like that Madame. I just meant that your career is not over yet."

Susan saw a warning look from her grandfather and stopped talking.

"Everyone despises me, what future is there?" Marie asked.

…

Barbara and Susan gave Marie the last of the medicine as she sat quietly in the corner of the TARDIS, her eyes transfixed on everything around her. She had started to feel unsteady on her feet again and had been forced to allow the strangers to help her, as much as it pained her to accept assistance from others. She was left with so many unanswered questions and knew so little about the four people she'd met only a day earlier- and yet at that moment she had trusted them to care for her. For all the things she had seen beyond her knowledge, the one thing she understood was that these people had helped her and been kind. They had been interested in her for much more than a scandal in a newspaper.

"Things will get better," Susan told her. "I have a feeling."

Marie stared at the teenager; her eyes seemed to gaze right through her. Susan found it unnerving. Since they had shared the images of one another's minds there had been a extraordinary connection between them, though they'd not had the chance to talk about it.

"You're a strange girl," Marie told her. "I saw the places you visited, the horror you experienced, and the joy you felt. I also saw how lonely you are, how frightened you feel to be able to do what you want."

Susan didn't reply but knew Marie was right, though she didn't want Barbara to notice. Barbara, being Barbara, had noticed, and though she herself had not an ounce of a telepathic gift, she did however have a gift for knowing when to change the subject.

"Well, it'll be great when you get back to your work," Barbara said to Marie. "There's nothing like getting back to it, head in the books, hours of research. Oh I do miss it."

Marie nodded. For every day she was deprived of her work, her heart ached. Her eyes had lost their sparkle. There were bags underneath them from the sleepless nights, and they lacked focus. She'd not spent any time in her laboratory in too long a time for her to bear.

"I'm not sure if Paris wants me to return."

Barbara looked at the woman, her eyebrow rose with disapproval. Marie could tell immediately what she was thinking. Since when had she let people tell her what she could and couldn't do? They tried to before, but she hadn't listened then.

"You'll get back into the swing of it," Susan added. "Once you get back inside your laboratory."

Marie smiled, recollections of her work in the lab rushing to her mind, the memories now only hers. The way it should be.

"And do you miss your work Mrs. Chesterton?" Marie asked as she looked at the woman with the face that seemed so easy to confide in.

"Yes. I haven't been back to England in some while," Barbara said as she fiddled with the sleeve of her blouse. "I read as much as I can whilst travelling of course, but there's nothing quite like being back in the place you feel you most belong."

. ..

Ian helped the Doctor wheel the medical tray back into the storage area of the TARDIS. It was a section Ian had never ventured into before, usually keeping himself confined to the main console room and the living quarters. It wasn't that he wasn't curious, but worried he'd face the wrath of the Doctor for putting anything out of place in the mysterious ship.

"Do you think she'll be alright Doctor?" Ian asked as he pushed the trolley into the room. The wheels screeched as they travelled across the shiny floor.

"Well, let's hope that's the last we have to see of that medical tray in a while hmmm?" the Doctor said. "And to answer your question dear boy, yes, I believe she will."

"But have we altered anything? Marie's seen things she shouldn't have."

"So have you Chesterton, it doesn't necessarily mean you're going to do anything life changing when you return home."

Ian nodded to agree and then stopped when he realised that it was more a jibe than a compliment. "I'll have you know I could become a very powerful man with all the knowledge I've gathered, Doctor."

The Doctor chuckled. "Indeed you could dear boy, but I'm certain that 'power' is not something you crave."

Ian smiled. "I guess you know me well enough."

"Yes. Now we mustn't dilly dally so. We must get Marie back home."

…

The Doctor, Ian, and Barbara walked on ahead from the TARDIS as Marie waited whilst Susan locked the door. Marie stood back from the police box, staring up at it in surprise. "The dimensions of the outer shell are smaller than the dimensions inside. I expected it to be the most monstrous craft. This is truly incredible."

Susan giggled. "Well most people generally see the outside first. You like to do things differently don't you?"

Marie laughed and touched the blue box, expecting it to feel differently than it felt beneath her hand. It was wooden and simple but there was a faint vibration of life. Part of her wanted to ask so many questions about the sciences of the TARDIS, and part of her wanted to leave well alone and leave the future where it should be. She was so overwhelmed and so excited.

"You know, when things are as bleak as they seem now, this ship of yours seems awfully inviting."

"We'd love you to come with us," Susan started as they began to walk away from the TARDIS. "But this time period shouldn't be deprived of your greatness."

Marie could barely believe in the notion that she was important to anyone, but she'd seen the girl's thoughts and knew she was honest. "I do have things I want to be getting on with. If only I could find the enthusiasm to go on."

"Don't give up Marie, you mustn't. Things aren't always made better by running away."

"And you know that well enough Susan. I saw in your dreams how you and your grandfather escaped some far away place and fled to a new life. You want to have a home of your own one day."

Susan smiled. "To be admired in a time of my own would be awfully nice."

"You have plenty of time Susan, you are still so young."

…

"You're not young anymore, Grandfather!" Susan said as he attempted to carry a large box across the living room. They'd stayed for some tea and were helping Marie sort through some of her treasured possessions when the Doctor had taken it upon himself to carry the heavy load. Marie laughed and offered her assistance but the Doctor was being stubborn as he shook her away politely and resumed with his duties.

"Careful with that, Doctor. When I offered the books as gifts I did not intend you an injury as well."

The Doctor dismissed her fussing and then tripped on some papers on the floor and tumbled across the room. The box he was carrying flew into the air and the books fell to the ground in a heap beside him. Marie and Barbara rushed to his aid as Ian laughed from the armchair, finishing off the last of his tea instead, too highly amused to offer any assistance. The Doctor stood up, his cheeks red with embarrassment and he brushed dust off his frock coat whilst trying to contain a coughing fit.

"If you stopped laughing like a schoolboy for a minute Chesterton and gave me a hand, things would get moving a lot quicker."

"Oh Doctor," Barbara said, helping him to his feet. "If you'd cleaned up some of this mess you wouldn't have fallen over in the first place."

The Doctor frowned and screwed his face up like a baby, the way he always did when he was being petulant. Barbara placed her head on his shoulder and giggled. He softened immediately and tried to hide the smile that was forming on his lips. He straightened himself up and approached Marie, taking her hand in his and holding it for a moment. He didn't need to say anything, his eyes seemed sad and his expression stiffened, the lines on his face seemed to deepen, and that told her that the travellers were leaving.

"You don't have to go so soon Doctor," Marie said as she placed some of the books back into the box and handed it to Ian instead. "There's so much I need to talk about. I have this idea for…"

The Doctor waved his hand at her, signalling for her to be quiet for a moment. "My dear we are most flattered but we must leave. I have to get these two young people back to England, and you have to work all these things out for yourself. Keep working Madame, yes you must keep going."

"And what about you, Doctor, what will you do?"

"Oh, don't worry about me Madame; there are always things for me to see."

Marie kissed him on the cheek hastily, surprised by her own forwardness. "I'm ready to get back out there, discover something else."

The Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Susan smiled together but didn't reply. The Doctor opened the door and they turned back one last time to wave goodbye to their new friend. She smiled as she followed them to the doorway and watched as they departed. She continued to watch as they walked to the end of the road and disappeared from sight through a blanket of fog, never to return.

…

"Will she be alright Doctor?" Barbara asked as they stood around the TARDIS console, hovering by the old man as he tinkered about with the controls like a mad magician who'd discovered a new conjuring trick.

"Of course she will, my dear. She has a strong mind, she is a dedicated woman, and she will not let them win the battle. History remains unchanged."

"And what about us Doctor?" Ian asked.

"Us dear boy? Us? Well, we've certainly changed, certainly changed. Onward."