Disclaimer: As always, the characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The original content and ideas of this story are those of TheGirlNtheYellowShoes.

A/N: Chapter titles are a little harder now that we're back in the real world O_o. Shoulda put more thought into that. Eitherway, I hope you like it :).

Craddle Robbing Run-ins.

"Action is the antidote to despair." - Joan Baez

I'm not going to lie, I had to do a lot of personal convincing to get out of the car at the mall. I may have only been missing for four days, but in my head it had been much longer. In fact, that's part of the reason Elane drove. I was a little nervous to get behind the wheel of my beamer again just yet.

When we walked through the front doors of the mall I gasped at it's size. I had forgotten how big it actually was. Not because of my little secret adventure though, namely just because I hadn't been home in that long.

"Bella, what the hell? You look like a kid who just stumbled into the north pole," Callie stated laughing.

I looked at her and rolled my eyes, "Lets just say my appreciation for things in life have changed a little."

"You should never disrespect shopping, Callie." Elane said in my defense. Callie and I looked at her and busted out laughing.

Wow, all of a sudden, it felt good to be home. As we began walking down the hall towards Norstroms I noticed the coffee aroma looming in the air. The pure smell of it dazzled me.

"Wow, that coffee smells amazing," I said mostly to myself.

They both stopped and turned to look at me as if I had a third head, "What? Were you stranded on a desert island in Eugene for four days?" Callie asked raising a confused eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" I was confused.

"The Starbucks is all the way at the other end of the mall, how can you smell that?" Elane said, "Not to mention you're stuffy as a build-a-bear right now with that cold."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Maybe my sense's were heightened for some bizarre reason. I shrugged, not really having an answer, but also noting Elane's build-a-bear comment and making a mental note to blow my nose again the first chance I had.

We started walking again and a moment later Callie sighed, "I really hope Taylor Launter decided to show his beautiful face here at some point this week, otherwise I may become chronically depressed."

I snapped my head in Callie's direction as Elane laughed, "Why on earth who Taylor Launter be here?"

Callie looked at me beaming, "They are filming the second installment of Twilight right now! I'm surprised you don't know that, being all hollywood and all."

I froze, gaping at her and internally freaking out. All of a sudden I wanted to leave. I didn't understand the reaction, considering one would had thought I'd want nothing more than to run into him right now.

"Only you would so openly rob the cradle," Elane said pushing Callie by the arm lightly.

"What? I can't help myself! Hello, he's a hottie!" She laughed.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

I focused on Elane's face again, breaking out of my trance, "Um, nothing."

When we finally reached Nordstroms, I found myself more or less hiding behind racks than actually looking at them. What an idiot reaction. Luckily, before long Callie and Elane both had full arms and headed towards the dressing room. I was so nervous I stood there, empty handed, not even having really noticed anything of particular in the section we had been in.

"I think I'm going to go get some coffee," I said after a moment.

"Would you like one of us to go with you?" Elane asked, a little concerned. I hadn't been around very many people since getting out of the hospital and no one having known where I was for four days with myself claiming I had no idea, had them all kinds of freaked out.

"No," I shook my head, "I'm fine, go ahead and I'll just come back after I've found my drug dealer. You said the other end of the mall, right?" I joked. They laughed, luckily.

"Yeah, bottom floor. Go straight through until you pass the forever 21. It will be across the hallway on the right."

I nodded and turned to leave, taking the escalator back down to the first floor. When I got to the bottom I randomly looked over to the shoe's before immediately turning to make sure no one was coming from the other direction. I froze.

I turned my head back around slowly towards the shoe section. I swore I had seen him standing there, but when my eyes met the area by the boots where I'd looked no one was there. I inhaled and exhaled slowly.

"Um, excuse me," Someone said from behind me just off the escalator.

"Oh, right, sorry," I said before I began walking again. I reached up, not really thinking and touched the white band aid on my forehead and furrowed my brow. I'd had my stitches removed a few days ago but it still ached.

"Oh my gosh, you're Annabella Anderson." I heard a small voice say. I stopped and turned to look over at a rack of scarfs and a teenage girl walked towards me. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but would you mind if I got your autograph?" She held up a calvin Klein bag with me on the front of it. I stared at it for a moment.

"Um..." I shook my head to break my daze, "Sure."

I gave her a smile and she rummaged in her purse for a pen before handing that and the bag to me. This often happened when I came home. All smaller towns and cities love when their hometown celebrities pop in for a visit and I enjoyed being inspiration for the younger generations to be something great. So I never had any qualms about entertaining them and making them feel special.

"I'm so glad to hear you're okay after what happened, that must have been terrifying for your family." She made small talk. I just nodded.

I scribbled my name on it and handed it back to her.

"Thank you, so much! Wow, this is so cool." She seemed really happy to have a 2 cent bag with my name inked on it. I didn't get it, but like I said, if that made people happy I'll happily oblige them. I just had no desire to do that at this particular moment.

"No problem." I said. I felt eyes on me and looked over to see two familiar faces staring at me from around the back of a shoe rack as Kristen and Nikki held random shoes and looked my way - half hiding from the autograph brigade.

"Oh my gosh Tanner, what the hell, where did you go?" My head snapped around as four teenage girls came walking up from the opposite direction. I panicked, wanting to get out of dodge before they made a scene or asked for my autograph too.

"Well, take care," I said quickly before putting my hand in my hair to hide my face and looking at the floor while walking away. Once I was out in the open mall I looked back up to see where I was going and my mind wandered to the girls in the shoe section. I knew if they were here there was a chance other's would be here and that made me nervous.

When I reached the starbucks, I went into their restroom for a long minute trying to pull myself together and dislodge my build-a-bear nose. I realized a mall experience so soon after a slightly traumatizing personal experience really hadn't been a good idea. Not on my part and not on the girls part, but I couldn't blame them.

I looked in the mirror, taking in my sunken features. I'd really lost a lot of weight in the past few weeks and it seemed no matter how much sleep I got, the circles under my eyes wouldn't go away. I looked like hell and I felt like hell - translation: I was walking hades.

Once I felt I was together enough I got my coffee, practically chugging it to give me energy against this death of a cold that kept trying to drag me down and made my way back to Nordstroms. When I reached the dressing rooms Callie and Elane were outside of the room taking advantage of the three way mirror by the fitting stand.

"There you are, we thought we were going to have to send out another search party." Callie joked. Elane didn't seem amused.

"Bella if you don't want to be here, we can leave." Elane glared at Callie.

"No, I'm fine." I shook my head and smiled. I leaned on the back side of a column in order to somewhat hide myself, but not necessarily realizing I was doing it.

"Why do I feel like you're hiding from someone then?" Callie said cocking her head, staring at me like a three headed person again.

"Because I sort of am," I said raising my eyebrows.

They both eyed me curiously and I sighed, "I almost got bum-rushed by some teenage girls for autographs. Luckily, there was only one at the time when she noticed me." Nice recovery. I almost turned around to see where that had come from.

Callie gaped, "Oh my gosh, you get approached for your autograph now?"

Elane laughed, "Really, Callie?"

I chuckled in response to Callie's baffled look.

"Anyhow, here, try this on. We thought it would look really cute for the Kings of Leon concert." Elane handed me three items, a brown leather jacket, a white v-neck t-shirt and some dark denim skinny jeans.

"Kings of Leon?"

"Oh, right, Elane and I bought you a ticket to go with us this saturday night." Callie said looking at me through the mirror.

"Surprise," Elane said somewhat mockingly as she thrust the clothes in my direction.

I cocked an eyebrow at them, I was starting to wonder if my dad had said something to them about getting me out of the house. It sounded as if everyone thought I was in a state of some sort of depression and they were trying to thrust me back into being my formal self. Which would take a while and definitely not happen over night, but even I wasn't denying I was depressed. I just wasn't openly admitting it to anyone else.

"Okay," I said finally and headed for the dressing room.

When I came back out, the girls had already tried on two more outfits.

"Do you guys want to see?" I asked from the dressing room hallway.

"Come out here," Callie said, "I want you to see this dress!"

I sighed before walking down the short hall and out into the store. I turned and paused in front of the mirror. The outfit was actually pretty perfect for a concert.

"I don't really need the jeans, I have plenty, but I definitely like the shirt and jacket." I stepped forward, my mouth falling open when I saw that in this light the marks on my neck were way more prominent.

As I continued to observe them in the mirror Callie mumbled something to herself walking over to me before abruptly halting right behind me. I looked up and spun around to face her as she stared at my neck in horror.

"Oh my GOD Bella, what the hell! It looks like someone freaking strangled you." She yelped.

I gasped and my hands shot up to my neck. "Callie, can you please lower you voice." I hissed stepping towards her.

Elane walked over, whispering, "Jake didn..."

"No, he didn't..." I cut her off. "No one did." As I cooly lied I rolled my eyes to add character. I was pretty proud of myself, actually.

I looked back at Callie when something caught my eye, standing behind her out on the walk way was Taylor and he was staring at us wide eyed.

"Don't look now, but your cradle is standing right behind you," I cocked an eyebrow at her, thankful for the subject change.

She looked through the mirror and met eyes with the dark haired, pretty boy before blushing. "you have got to be kidding me."

I felt a smirk crawl across my face as she immediately disappeared into the dressing room. Having been standing there in the most scandalous dress I'd ever seen her try on.

I yanked a scarf off a mannequin right by the dressing room and put it on, it was a burnt pink color and actually added to the outfit nicely.

"Bella," Elane murmured and I turned to face her. "You know... if he hurt you, you can tell us right?"

I sighed and spoke matter of factly, "Elane, Jake would never have hurt me physically when he knew all he had to do was play mind-warp games."

She shook her head and pursed her lips. "Good point, I guess."

She was still eyeing me cautiously. I had a feeling she wanted to ask me if it happened while I was missing, but I was faking amnesia at the moment. Especially considering I didn't even really know what was real and what wasn't right now anyways.

I walked over to the rack of clothes and looked through what else Elane and Callie had picked out, trying to get into the shopping spirit in hopes I would dilute their need to force me to talk.

"Here, try this on." Elane said holding up the most skanky dress I'd ever seen on a Nordstroms rack.

"Um, I don't think so," I laughed lightly.

"Why not? We're going to go out at least once while you're home."

"Because Elane, I have no desire to wear something that probably only took a yard of fabric to make." I said pulling at the material with my fingers to make my point.

I heard a light laugh behind me and turned around. Taylor was still standing in the walk way, actually he was leaning against the railing, seemingly waiting for someone. Really? This is how my day was going to go? I wanted to hide in a bilancia bag and never come out again.

I sighed before walking over towards him. I cleared my throat and swallowed, "Hi... yeah... ummm... How do I say this? ... I have no idea if you are interested in women 6 years your senior, but unless you want your cradle seriously rocked, you might want to find somewhere else to wait for your friend or whoever it is. Because when my friend comes back out of that dressing room all bets are off and I'm not really in good enough shape right now to place myself in between you two." I smirked and cocked an eyebrow at him.

His face fell and he nodded mumbling, "right... um, thanks." before walking away.

I turned and walk back over to Elane, "I'll try this one." I said grabbing a black Betsy Johnson off a neighboring rack and waltzing off into the dressing room as she gaped at me. It may have been for just a brief moment, but I actually felt like my former self again.

Sooooo, time to click the Review button... ya know you want to. It's okay. I can take it.

*runs and hides*