A/N: So, I have a sad personal story for you guys today. A few days ago, my computer ate my story. I really don't know what happened, but for some reason the file is corrupted and instead of a full-length story there's now twenty-something pages of "###". THANKFULLY, I still have the first draft, otherwise I think I would have cried. I still almost did, because there were many hours of work put into the second draft. But I'm looking at this as a chance to make even more improvements this time than I did last time, since I'm always learning something as I'm writing. I've already gotten several chapters re-written in the last couple of days, so I'm hoping that this won't set back my publishing schedule any. I will definitely let you guys know if I think it's going to at any point.

Coolmegan123: Hmm, your senses might just be onto something... ;)

The incessant knocking on my door took a couple of minutes to fully rouse me from sleep. Moaning, I rolled over onto my stomach, burying my face in the pillow. Why did morning have to come so soon?

"Up and at 'em!" Riku called through the door with way too much energy.

"Yeah," I replied, though with my face still buried it just sounded like another groan. Yesterday had been another long, tiring day, and being in the bed felt so good on my aching muscles. I didn't want to have to move again for a very long time. Unfortunately, the need to breathe pretty quickly forced me to at least turn my head over to the side.

"Meet you out back in fifteen," Riku spoke again, his voice fading as he moved away from the door.

Curse him and his ability to thrive early in the morning. Why had I agreed to doing this to myself? And why, oh why, couldn't we have training at say, noon, or maybe three in the afternoon? I needed coffee. Somehow I had gotten through the last couple of weeks without having coffee every morning before training, but that didn't mean that I didn't still desperately want it. If only I could just pop back home and grab my coffee maker, life would be so much better.

Wait a minute. A sudden idea came to mind that was so enticing it made me actually sit up in bed, ignoring the protests from my back and abs. What if I could just pop back home and grab the coffee maker, along with several other things I wished I had? I hadn't attempted to make another portal since the first successful one, but I felt pretty confident that I could make it work again. In the few days since I had learned my first magic spell with the Keyblade, Riku had taught me two more spells that I had had no problem with. So if I could shoot fire, ice, and thunder, and create a barrier around myself, surely I could make a portal to my apartment and back.

I smirked as the absurdity of that thought struck me. What a world I had become a part of! No time to dwell on that now, though, there was coffee to find. Scooting off the bed with new energy, I got dressed, then stopped in front of the mirror and studied it for a moment. There was always the chance, of course, that none of my stuff would even be there anymore. I had better not get my hopes up too high.

Taking a deep breath, I placed my hands on the mirror, picturing the apartment in my mind. The portal appeared even quicker than it had before. Tentatively, I first tried sticking my hand through it, and was almost surprised that it actually worked. My hand vanished right into the wavering mirror. I decided then to poke my head through, just to make sure that it actually lead to my apartment, and that there weren't new tenants living there. If there were – well, there was a high possibility of finding them passed out from fright, so I certainly hoped there weren't.

Passing through felt a bit like a cool breath of air on my face. When I opened my eyes, it was definitely my apartment that I saw, and to my delight, all of my belongings were still in place. I was surprised to be coming out next to my bed, instead of from the mirror, but I supposed since the basement I had originally entered didn't even have a mirror, it made sense. Apparently you only had to have a mirror to make a portal, not to come out of one.

I stepped through with one foot, but left the other still back in the mansion for now. The apartment smelled a bit musty, like no one had been in there for a while. Other than that, though, the familiarity was welcoming. It might not have been much of an apartment, but it had still been mine for quite some time. I was still a little apprehensive about stepping all the way through and having the portal close behind me, but when I spotted my coffee maker on the kitchen counter that was enough motivation to pull me in.

Hurrying across the room, I snatched up the device and unplugged it, then opened the cabinet above it and tucked the canister of coffee grounds from inside underneath my arm. I ran back to the portal and leaned in, setting the two items on the floor of the mansion bedroom. When I straightened again, the portal fizzled and shrank until it had completely disappeared. For a few seconds, I stood in place and stared at the empty beige wall where it had been, trying not to let fear get the best of me. If I couldn't open another portal, not only would I be stuck here, but now I'd be stuck without coffee. But I could do this. I just had a few more things I wanted to grab first.

Opening my closet door, I pulled out a duffel bag and threw it on the floor, then started tossing clothes inside. I included my sneakers, since the flip-flops I had been wearing so far were not at all suited for fighting. I had actually started just going barefoot for training, which was still certainly not ideal, but caused less tripping.

Next, I went into the bathroom and collected all of my toiletries, and added them to the bag. A couple of coffee mugs went in, as well as a mostly-full box of of my favorite cereal that had not expired yet, and my bedside clock. Glancing around the room, I tried to think of anything else I might want to have. There wasn't much left besides food and an old tv. Now that I stopped and took it all in, the apartment felt too quiet, and lonely. It made me think of Aiden, and wonder again if he had been by looking for me at all.

Crossing back to the kitchen, I opened a drawer and pulled out a yellow pad of paper and a pen. The least I could do was leave a note for him, in case he was wondering about me. I tapped the pen on the counter, trying to think of what I could say that would be truthful without giving too much away.

Dear Aiden,

I'm sorry for disappearing without an explanation. I hope I didn't worry you too much. I needed some time to think things over. I stopped by to get some of my things, but I'm not sure when I'll be back again. Please don't feel like you have to wait for me if you don't want to, but know that I do still love you.

Love,

Meli

I set the notepad on the bed where it would be the most visible, then slung the bag over my shoulder and walked to the mirror. Here was the moment of truth. My heart skipped a beat as I touched the glass, but I didn't need to have worried. The portal opened almost immediately, and after one last glance over my shoulder at the little apartment I had called home for so long, I stepped through into my new bedroom.

The first thing I did once I was back was rip the sheet off of the last piece of furniture in the room, a desk with a chair. This is where I set up my new coffee station, and got a cup brewing right away. Then I stripped off the clothes that I had been washing in the sink every night and hurled them onto the bed, elated to be rid of them. Putting on a new tank top and jeans had never felt so good in my life. By the time I finished tying on my sneakers, the coffee was done, and I poured it happily into my Starbucks mug. I knew it had been way longer than fifteen minutes since Riku had woken me, but I didn't care. I finally had a good cup of coffee, and felt fresh and ready for the day ahead.

"Where have you been?" Riku questioned with slight annoyance in his voice when I wandered out into the training arena a minute later, steaming mug in hand. "And...what is that smell?"

"Coffee," I answered with a smile, taking a sip.

"What...where did you get coffee?" He sounded concerned, and I figured he thought I had gone into town on my own.

"I, uh...kinda made a trip back to my apartment and grabbed a few things." I shrugged like it was no big deal.

"You what?" Riku exclaimed. "You mean you made a portal?"

"Uh, yeah...I might have forgotten to mention that I figured that out a couple of weeks ago." I smiled sheepishly. "This is the first time I've gone anywhere, though."

"A couple of weeks ago?" Riku repeated, incredulous. He stopped and seemed to be considering what all of this meant. "Well, that's...great. I'm glad that it's working for you now." Somehow, he didn't sound all that excited about it.

"Yeah! I can have coffee every morning now, so I won't be so grumpy," I laughed. "And I can actually change clothes and use my own toothpaste and shampoo, and I have better shoes now, too!" I held up my foot as if he could actually see the shoe.

Riku nodded, but his mind seemed preoccupied. "But...that means you're planning on staying here, then...right? Since you brought all of your stuff over?"

"Oh, well..." Now it was my turn to stop and think. Honestly, it had been a long time since the idea of going home and staying had even crossed my mind. Technically, I could move back, and just come here to visit whenever I wanted, just like we had talked about originally. But even when I had been standing in the apartment writing that note to Aiden just a few minutes ago, there had been no desire to do so. It seemed my life had become so wrapped up in being here and training with Riku that the thought of returning to my previous, lonely, basically meaningless life seemed like a foreign concept.

"I mean, yeah, I guess so. At least for now." I shrugged again and gazed into my coffee mug. "I don't really know what my plans are long-term. But I definitely don't want to leave in the middle of training." I looked back up at Riku. "Is...that okay?" I had just assumed that it was, but maybe they were ready to have me off of their hands.

"Of course!" Riku smiled, looking almost relieved. "It's more than okay. I mean..." He cleared his throat. "I'm glad. I want you to finish your training, too. You're more than welcome to stay for as long as you want to."

"Great," I smiled back at him. "Well, now that I've had my coffee, I'm ready to get started!"