Lori Disney? Not Likely!

by disneylover3212008

Lori Fitzgerald desperately wanted a normal, boring even college experience. But a certain magic Disney Encyclopedia had other plans when it dropped into her life. Join her and her loyal Companions in their mad-cap adventures on Trinity College campus as they learn from some very familiar Disney faces what's truly important. Currently in Season 5- Junior Fall *Updates Sundays*

8. Go the Distance

And now a brand new episode of Lori Disney? (Not Likely!)

XXX

Stevens is walking through the suburbs, looking disheveled and tried beyond belief. He's been running for a very long time. He comes up to a house familiar to him and lets out the smallest of smiles at the mere sight of it. He takes off up the driveway and pounds on the door. A woman opens it and he throws his arms around her. "Mom."

XXX

Lori Fitzgerald stands in her dorm bathroom, still tired this early in the morning. She is brushing her teeth- mentally preparing for class. Suddenly, the head of Hannah Frost, her roommate sticks through the door. "Anything?!" she asks, far too excited for this early.

Lori physically rolls her eyes. "Hannah…"

"Sorry. I just want to see who comes out next, you know."

"No. I don't. I'm quite content to just live my life as a normal college student," she answers in a bored but serious tone.

"Have you gotten any closer to figuring out who sent it to you?" Hannah asks, trying to change the subject.

"Who said I was looking?" She spits toothpaste into sink, awkwardly pushes past Hannah into the bedroom, and grabs her backpack. Hannah follows.

"Why wouldn't you be looking? Someone out there in the world somehow made a magical book that brings Disney characters to life. Then of all the people in the entire world it ends up with you. Someone has to be looking for it somewhere. Someone out there just might be looking for you," she rants, a little scared.

"And when they do I'll hand them the book and the nightmare will officially be over. I hope they hurry. It's been a month." They exit the dorm and start down the hallway.

"We should look into it!"

"You can if you want. The box it came in is still in my filing cabinet. Go ahead Sherlock."

"Does that mean I get a Watson?" Hannah asks, far too excited.

"When are you going to get this answer through your head- I don't care."

"Alright then," she finishes with a fist pump.

XXX

So follow me down

(Lori stands with the book)
Where to?
Outta this town
With you
Girl, you're movin way

(Hannah is typing away at her computer)
Too slow

So follow me down
Which way?
Down, down, down
I'll show you around
Okay
There's a place we gotta go

(The Disney Encyclopedia begins to glow. Lori sighs)

Follow me, follow me

(Lori and Hannah are running through the preserve, freezing once on each of their faces)
Fa la la la la

Follow me, follow me

Fa la la la la

(Lori comes to a halt and Hannah crashes into her, sending them both to the ground)

Lori Disney? (Not Likely!)

Episode 7: Go the Distance

XXX

Charlie is sitting peacefully at the library reading a textbook when suddenly Hannah sits across from him and gives a small wave. "I am in need of an assistant for a very special mission that involves a certain mystical Disney book," she offers. Charlie goes back to his book.

"I can't do it."

"Come on Charlie. You know more about this than I do. The whole being able to read the book thing was your idea in the first place."

He is becoming annoyed. "Lori made her position on all this very clear. I'm not going to make this harder for her and your job is to do the same." He grabs his stuff and starts to leave.

"Come on," she calls after him. "Don't be afraid of Lori. You could get that book out of her hands, be her friend again… maybe even be her hero."

"Oh stop." He exits and Hannah rests her head on her arm, frustrated.

"Fine then. If Charlie won't come back, I'll just have to be better than Charlie. And that really can't be that hard."

XXX

Hannah enters the dorm after a long day of classes to find Lori studying Charlie's map, book on the desk next to her. She can't help but starts giggling, jumping up and down in glee. "When do we leave?! Can we wait until-?"

Lori ignores her, rolling up the map as she rises. "Let's get this done. You check the usual spots, and if there's nothing meet me in the preserve." Hannah goes to speak but she's already out the door.

"Okay, I'll meet you after I finish my homework!" She goes onto her bed and quickly pulls out her textbook.

XXX

Lori stands waiting on the edge of the preserve as the sun starts to go down. She looks at the time on her phone and crosses her arms, annoyed. Finally, Hannah comes up to her. "That took you a long time. I'm convinced I checked everywhere in here. Did you-"

"Oh! I forgot my flashlight," Hannah exclaims, hitting her head. "Should I- maybe should I run back and-"

"No. No. We'll make it work somehow. I was just going to have you read the map. So how did the usual spots check out?"

"Oh… um, nothing in the clearing or by the tree with the library ladder," she says, smiling proudly. Lori frowns.

"Yes, I know that. I checked that myself!" Hannah's face falls. "The usual spots are the ones on campus- library, cafeteria- places where said character could draw an awful lot of attention!"

"I didn't think of that. I thought you meant-"Lori just shakes her head.

"What have you been doing this whole time then?" she asks, trying to hold onto a small sliver of patience.

"I just had some homework I needed to wrap up real-"Lori gives a frustrated groan.

"Alright, you keep searching here. I'll go investigate the usual spots… something that maybe could've saved us a lot of time and effort for things such as homework," she says with venom. She walks off.

"Lori! I don't have a flashlight!" One comes flying at her, nearly hitting her in the head. She grabs it from off the ground. "That wasn't necessary!"She clicks it on. "Do I get the map too?" Nothing. "I figured as much," she mumbles, starting into the preserve.

XXX

Lori exits the library, still obviously frustrated over how things are going. It is officially dark out. She starts down the path towards the preserve mumbling incoherently to herself when she notices lights flickering from the gym down the path. She starts heading that way, curious and suspicious. "I suppose it wouldn't surprise me anymore."

Lori reaches the side of the building and peeks in the window over the bushes. She sees a large figure racing around aside confused and stumbling. "Ten points that's our guy." She jogs to the front door and attempts to pull it open, but it has been locked for the night already. "Of course. It looks like I'll need be stealthy." Just then, a janitor walks out the side and leaves the door open as he walks to dump something in the garbage. "Or life could finally work out for once."

She manages to slip in quickly before he comes back and wanders into the giant atrium. She looks through the glass into the gym when a noise sounds almost from below her. She starts slowly heading down the stairs to the basement. She pulls out her flashlight and slowly walks around the bend to a long, pitch black hallway stealthily and quietly. She reaches the end without instance and lets out a deep breath. Suddenly, something clatters behind her. She swirls around only to be slammed against a wall, flashlight falling to the ground.

"Who are you?! What's going on?!" a deep voice shouts. She starts choking. "Where is everyone?!"

"Just… one minute… explain… please…" she begs, tears forming in her eyes. After a moment, she slides to the ground as they let her go, rubbing her neck. She coughs for a moment, getting her breath back. "I'm… I'm here to help you. I swear," she says gently. "Just… just let me…" She grabs her light and shines it at the figure, instantly registering who it is. "Hercules," she says, almost disappointed.

"Is this the Underworld?" he asks, frantic. "I defeated Hades once- I will-"

She puts her hands up. "You're not in the Underworld. I have no affiliation with Hades other than he is the only redeeming feature of your movie. Well… maybe Meg too. She was semi-independent."

"Meg? You know Meg! Do you know where she is? And Phil? I can't find anybody? I don't know where I am. I just-"

"They're fine. It's okay. I'm going to be honest with you- you are in a completely different world. It was accidental and it happens sometimes. I'm here to get you home- get you back to Phil and Meg. I promise. But you can't try choking me again because that really hurt." She goes to rise, but he grabs her hand and swiftly pulls her to her feet.

"I'm sorry about that," he apologizes, earnestly. "I was just so disorientated and confused. You were sneaking around."

"It's no big deal," she assures him coldly. She looks at the time on her phone. "Listen, it's too late for me to sneak you back to my dorm. My RD's going to be watching like a hawk this late." She takes in his blank expression. "You didn't understand any of that. Listen, find somewhere here you can hide and either I or my friend will meet you here again so we can get this figured out."

"Alright," he agrees, shaking her hand. She holds it in pain. "Sorry."

"Stay out of trouble."

"You stay safe!"She runs off as he takes off in the other direction, throwing open the door to the boys' locker room quite easily- breaking the lock in the process. He ducks inside.

XXX

Lori is asleep in her bed when a tired and worse for wear Hannah enters. She takes Lori in before whipping a pillow at her with all he might and frustration. Lori shoots up and pulls out a toy bow and arrow set from under her pillow. "Serpentine! Serpentine!"

Hannah can't even believe what she's seeing. She tries to take it in."You shouldn't- we're not supposed to- why…you know what, you are so weird," she dismisses finally. Lori relaxes and stores the bow and arrow back under her pillow.

"Where have you been? It's… three in the morning." Hannah lets out a deep sigh.

"Well… I've been in the preserve looking for a Disney character. You never came back!"

Lori tries to deflect her anger. "He was in the gym so I came back here. I thought I texted… oh. I texted Charlie by accident," she says, examining her phone. She gives a small laugh.

Hannah isn't amused. "You're just so lucky tomorrow's my free day. And I don't know how it's possible, but you're making this not fun. You're making magical Disney characters not fun!" She grabs pajamas from her drawer. "Who is it?"

Lori yawns and lies back down. "Hercules." Hannah's face lights up.

"Oh my God! I love him! I love that movie! That is my absolute favorite Disney movie! In its production-"

"In the morning," Lori dismisses. Hannah's eyes narrow.

"Oh, are you going to hear it in the morning. Tomorrow's my free day, so I'm just going to follow you and-

"You can rant about what you're going to do to me in the morning in the morning. Night."

"I hate you so much sometimes."

XXX

The next day Hannah has the box the book came in perched atop her lap as she sits at her desk. She starts typing like mad, highlighting sections, and copying them down in a notebook. She goes through sites and makes a few calls- most ending in frustration. She finally sits staring at her notes as Lori walks in. She doesn't miss a beat and starts rambling to her. "It was originally supposed to premiere in Greece, but critics panned the film so-"

"Okay! Okay! I surrender. I'm sorry," Lori shouts, hands on her ears.

Hannah takes this in but starts again. "They called it-"

"I apologized!"

"Ah, but I wasn't feeling it," Hannah says. "They called it foreigners distorting-"

Lori drops dramatically to her knees. "Hannah Frost, I am so sorry you had such a late night. I'm sorry I don't actually have your number on my phone."

"We did that the first day," Hannah says, confused.

Lori scratches the back of her neck. "Yeah… about that…"

XXX

Charlie is looking extremely bored as he walks into the gym with Ben, who for once isn't wearing a tie. Instead, he sports obnoxious workout clothes in a bright orange. "An exercise regime?" Charlie asks again, as if still in disbelief. They start down the hallway upstairs.

"Listen, I have to look the part to sell the part," Ben says, flexing a non-existent muscle. "Besides, you need to get out of that room of yours. You've been sulking."

"I have not. And why would I need to exercise? I'm super tiny as it is." He crosses his arms. "And you don't have to lie to me. You're here to impress a girl and think it'd score points if you had me tag along behind you like I adore you."

"That's not true, little guy." Charlie just stares. "Vanessa. And you have been moping ever since the whole Lori thing." They arrive at the doors. "Just… please… I'll go in there and you join me in a minute. It'll break the ice."

"No," he says without hesitation.

"Thanks!" Ben answers with a smile. He enters the fitness center and Charlie stands waiting when he is tapped on the shoulder. He turns to see Hercules towering over him.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but hear. You're Lori's friend right?"

He sighs. "Let me guess… you came here from another world and now Lori's going to help you back." He nods. "Listen; just go back to wherever she told you to wait until she comes back. She knows what she's doing. She doesn't like it, but she knows."

"I'm getting tired of hiding though. I want to get out there and do things- help people. I'm a true hero, you know." This catches Charlie's attention. He sees Ben trying to talk to a girl as he attempts to lift a weight. He turns back with a smile.

"You know what, let's go get ice cream. I want to hear everything about being a hero if that's alright."

"I'd be more than happy to tell you."They start walking away back towards the entrance. "What's ice cream?"

"Just wait."They exit the building. "It looks like it's going to rain pretty soon," he notes.

XXX

Lori and Hannah both enter through the main doors of the gym as it starts drizzling. Hannah is reading from her notebook. "So then using a simple algorithm I devised-"

"You're a computer geek too?"

"I prefer the term savvy if you don't mind. And yes, I know my way around some programs very well," she says, snapping the notebook shut a little insulted.

Lori, of course, doesn't pick up on this. "Alright, he's here somewhere. I'll go downstairs and you-"

"What's he like? Is he dreamy?"

"He's just as bland and boring as in the movie."

"I just don't get that opinion. He was so adorable!" Hannah argues.

"He was bland and forgettable just like many Disney protagonists," Lori counters.

"That's not-"

"Pocahontas." Hannah opens her mouth, but ends up shutting it. "I thought so."Ben comes down the hall frustrated and sweaty. "Did she say yes?"

"Excuse me?"

"The only way you'd even think of going to the fitness center was for a girl. Did she say yes?"

Ben can only shake his head. "I don't get how you do it. But she said no because Charlie abandoned me. You didn't-"

Hannah crosses her arms and glares at him. "I have been with her since this morning. She had nothing to do with it. Go take a shower."

Ben looks a little taken aback. "Wow, alright. You really don't like me."

"I'm not the forgive and forget type." Ben nervously gives Lori a small wave and exits as Hannah continues to glare. Once he's gone, she immediately relaxes. "That was for you."

"You just might be of some use to me yet."

"So Charlie obviously found Hercules and they're off somewhere- maybe even left here," Hannah deduces.

"I know. It's like no matter how hard I try to keep him away and safe he keeps stumbling back into this."

"Maybe he's safer with you," Hannah offers. Lori gives her a glare that puts Hannah's previous one to shame. "I do know how to find him though. Follow me." She takes off and Lori follows.

XXX

Charlie and Hercules are sitting at the college's local café just off the dorms over a bridge. They're eating ice cream together- Charlie on his first pint, Hercules his fourth. They are both oblivious to the stares they are getting from the others frequenting the place. "And then… I learned the most important part. Being a hero, it isn't about the size of your strength. It's about the size of your heart. This… is so good. "Charlie looks at him enlightened as he finishes his pint.

"So I have this person I'm trying to impress. I'm trying to do that by showing her I have the strength to follow her orders and make her life easier. Maybe I should show her that I'm following her because of what's in my heart. That'll help make me her hero!" They both sit silent for a minute.

"Is she pretty?" Hercules asks.

"You bet she is! Hey, we should probably go find Lori. She's probably freaking out." They both rise, gathering their containers. "I'm going to need you for moral support." They head out, depositing all their cartons in the trash and attracting more stares as they walk.

XXX

Hannah is in the first cubicle on her computer in the library with Lori standing above her observing. She clicks a key and smiles. "And we have contact!" The screen becomes video feed of various spots around campus.

"You… you just hacked into the security system," Lori observes in disbelief.

"I said I was good with a few programs. Now… let's see if we can… here we go!" The screen displays an angle that shows Charlie and Hercules walking away from the café. "Um… he's kind of parading around campus."

"What is he thinking?! Where are they going?"Lightning strikes outside.

"They seem to be headed towards his dorm. Now they're running because it started pouring. Oh, and they just met up with Ben. This should be fun." Suddenly, the screen starts glitching. "Hey."

"What's going on? Is it the lightning?" Lori demands.

"No. It's like… something's trying to hack into me." The screen goes black. Hannah's jaw drops.

Lori pulls out her phone. "I'm texting Charlie to meet us here. We'll just sneak off somewhere and figure out what we need to do." Hannah's face goes white.

"Lori… look at this." Lori does and sees the black screen has white type across it: 'Do you have the book?'

"Where's it coming from?" Lori demands, a little freaked out.

"I have no idea. It wants me to type an answer." Lori grabs the computer and types 'Are you the idiot who gave it to me?' "Nice."

"It's true!" Lori defends. An answer is slowly typed back. 'No, but I'm meant to assist you' Lori types again and waits. 'By whom?' 'By-'Another boom of thunder echoes and the screen dies.

"Now that's the lightning."

Lori just stares at it, expressionless. "Get it back!" she suddenly shouts desperate. "Get it back! We were so close!" She starts wailing on the keys, pounding them. Hannah snatches it away.

"There's nothing we can do," she says calmly. "Maybe if I could get to an antenna I could find out where it came from before it's too late, but-"

"Then come on." Lori races up the stairs.

"Lori!" She follows her and can't help but smirk. "I'd like to have seen Charlie do that."

XXX

Charlie and Hercules weave around the people running towards building in the pouring rain as they race to the library. "You brother-"

"Step-brother," Charlie corrects instantaneously.

"Seemed very suspicious of me."

"That's why I told him you were a foreign exchange student I was giving a tour to. In this world it means you're trustworthy. They arrive at the library building. "Now she says to meet her in a study room where we can get some privacy." He turns back to see Hercules is a few paces back looking up. "What are you waiting for?"

"Isn't that her up there?"

XXX

Lori is on the slanted roof, book under her arm, calling back to Hannah. She is inside the hatch and refusing to come up. "Lori, this is way too dangerous!" she tries to shout over the noise of the whipping wind.

"But we have to track it back! We have to!" Any semblance of the regular Lori is gone. Hannah merely sees a terrified desperate being out in the rain.

"Lori, I understand how desperate you are but we need to take a step back and clear our heads!"

"Please, just come out here! Please!" she begs. She takes a step but slips and slides to the edge, grabbing the gutter.

"LORI!" Hannah shouts. The book slips and hits the ground below. "Hold on! I'm coming!" she calls, starting to climb out of the hatch.

"Don't you dare!" Lori shouts, suddenly back to her old self. "You'll slip too! Go find help! Go!" Hannah runs off. Lori feels her hands slipping and attempts to pull herself up. She gets a glimpse of the three-story plummet as one hand slips. She tries desperately to hold on but the other hand soon follows. She falls from the roof screaming.

Suddenly, her arm is grabbed and she stops. She sees Charlie desperately trying to hold her as he seemingly dangles from the second-story window."Give me your other hand!" She lifts it to him and sees Hercules is holding him out the window. "Pull us in. Quick." They pull Lori into the building onto the floor and she takes a moment to get a grip, recovering from shock. "Are you okay?" She nods slowly. Hannah rushes up and tackles her with a hug in relief. Lori doesn't waste a moment is shoving her off. "Let's get into a study room." They enter one near them and lock it closed, Charlie putting his coat around her shoulders. It is hilariously tiny on her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm positive," she says annoyed, shrugging it off and handing it back to him. "Where's the book?" she asks, all business again.

Hannah beams. "I didn't forget it this time." She hands it to her. "It's really weird. It landed in a puddle, but it's not worse for wear inside."

"Magic book. No rules," Charlie offers. Lori flips pages. "So did you learn something?"

"I'm now afraid of heights," she answers seriously

Hannah takes up a lecturing tone. "Maybe it's something about being reckless! Face it, if Charlie had been up there you wouldn't have done that."

"What?"

Hannah looks at her as if it's obvious. "You'd be so concerned for his safety you wouldn't even imagine walking out there- let alone trying to force me out there too. I don't want to even know how many times he's saved you by forcing you to be objective." Charlie can't help but smile. Lori has trouble with a page and he helps her flip it.

"Like a true hero," Hercules says triumphant. One of the poems begins to glow.

"Like a true hero!" Charlie echoes.

"Alright, tell Meg I said hi," Lori says with a small smile.

"I will. Thank you for looking out for me." He turns to Charlie, kneeling down to his level. "And you, kid, you are going to be great. Look me and Phil up if you're ever in Greece. And I can see what you see in her." Charlie hugs him tight.

"I will." He looks at Lori and nods. She gets ready to sing.

"Wait!" Hannah cries. She runs up to him and feels his bicep. "Proceed."

Lori rolls her eyes and begins. "So hit is with a Hallelujah! Herc came shining through" There is a bright flash and he has vanished. She turns to Charlie and continues, "So did you Making you a hero too." The three then just sigh and smile as she shuts the book. "Well, that was a fun one. We should go get dry."

"It seems like that lesson was almost for Charlie," Hannah helpfully observes. "It didn't appear until he touched the book. And he's one of the three of us who can read it. Just saying." Charlie looks at Lori hopeful, but she just turns towards the door.

"Let's go." She opens it and Hannah starts towards her. She stands waiting. "Aren't you coming too? Or have you given up on the pursuit?"

His entire face brightens up. "Now that I'm a hero it should be you pursuing me." He meets her at the door. "Why now?"

"Hannah's right. I need you to keep me sane. With you around I'll protect the both of us a lot more than just me. So you're in… that is, if you still want to be. I understand if you've moved-"

"Hey, I'm in for whatever my friend needs me for." Lori grimaces.

"Yeah… still not friends- more business partners." She exits.

"Really?!" he shouts after her. "I just saved your life! Or at least some of your bones and possibly your ability to walk!"

XXX

The trio is gathered around Hannah's computer in the lounge. "Any luck finding out who contacted us?" Lori asks.

"None whatsoever," she admits sadly. "I'm leaving my computer slightly open for if they want to try again though. I did manage to trace the package back to the forests of Germany oddly enough though. But did you ever notice this?" she asks, scratching the box as some flakes come off. "It was sent somewhere else first and they whited it out."

"Can we just scratch it off and find out?" Lori says, pulling out a penny. Hannah clutches the box to her chest.

"It's going to be a long, careful process. I have to do it very cautiously in my free time so I don't ruin anything."

"I could help!" Charlie offers enthusiastically.

"And how's hacking into Disney archives to see what they know about the book?" Lori follows up.

Hannah sighs in frustration. "It's slow going. I'm trying to do it so that is it both undetectable and untraceable. It's locked up pretty tight. We could be looking at weeks, maybe even a month or two."

"In the meantime we'll just have to keep doing what we do best," Charlie says, swinging his arm through the air.

"Yeah," Lori sighs. She looks at her phone. "Come on. We can't be late for English."

"One second," Hannah says, clicking through things. "Just let me-"She looks up to see Charlie and Lori are gone. "Right. I guess my new name can be Third Wheel." She puts her computer in her bag and chases after them. They pass Ben on the path to class and he just shakes his head at them. Hannah glares back as she catches up to the two. They enter class and she goes to sit with them when Tyler pulls her up by him.

"Hey, where have you been? I've been trying to text you all night," he says.

"I've been distracted. What's wrong?"

"I broke up with Victoria and I… I just really need to talk to someone."

"Oh…okay." She sees Charlie and Lori laughing together. "We have a few minutes before class… and the notes during," she adds with a laugh, sitting next to him.

Lori notices something missing and turns back to see Hannah deep in conversation with Tyler. She frowns and turns back. "I guess everything's back to normal."

XXX

Tune in next week as Hannah and Charlie struggle to share a role and get the opportunity of their dreams from a familiar fairy.