Luck & Intuition

"ELLA. COME ON, Ella. Where are you hiding?"

Autumn sighed as she crawled on her hands and knees, searching under the bed to find Ella Mae. Giggles erupted nearby but it echoed out of range from her. Suddenly the scream of a little girl with the trail of laughter at the end came from the hallway. Ella rushed into the bedroom with a children's smile all over her lips. She stood behind Autumn with her arms wrapped her legs.

"Rawwr!" Joe had his hands formed into the shapes of claws with a cheap wolf Halloween mask over his head. He continued on making roaring and howling noises from the doorway.

"JoeJoe! No, no!" Ella pointed. "Bad, JoeJoe! Bad!"

Autumn began to laugh to herself. "Yeah, bad Jacob Black. Sit!" She smirked as Joe pulled the mask over his head. His hair was dishevelled, his face was red and he was sweating profusely. He rolled his eyes.

"At least I got her back into the room for you." Joe walked over and scooped Ella into his arms. He laid her on the bed in the spare bedroom. "Goodnight, Ella." He smiled, kissing the top of her head. Autumn smiled lightly at Joe before he exited the room.

Autumn shifted on the bed and settled down next to Ella. "Did you brush your teeth?" Ella nodded, yawning and grasping her bunny tightly to her chest.

"JoeJoe helped me!"

Autumn smiled softly. "Do you like JoeJoe, Ella?" She nodded once again. "Yeah, I do too. I do. But you have to get some sleep, okay?" Autry kissed Ella's cheek and stood up, flicking on the little night light placed in the corner of the room. "Goodnight, Ella."

"Night, momma." Ella mumbled in her childish tone. Autumn froze in mid- step but flicked off the main light. She stood at the entrance to the hallway, shutting the door with ease before starting down the stairs.

She wiped the corner of her eye from the loose tears were just waiting to fall. She tugged on the sleeves of the oversized hoodie Joe had offered her to wear as they were leaving from Jimmy Kimmel just a few hours previous. Autumn cleared her mind as she entered the kitchen. Across the kitchen leaning against the counter was Joe. His shirt had disappeared and was left with his tanned, muscular bare chest. Below, his jeans had transformed into silk pyjama bottoms that hung low on his hips. She didn't know where to stare: his face that was too amused with the bowl of ice cream his hands, his bare chest that she wanted to run her fingertips along, or his oblique V.

"What are you staring at?" Joe asked through a mouth full of ice cream. Autumn shook her head and laughed, taking a spoon from the drawer. She walked forward and stood in front of Joe, stealing scoops of ice cream from him. "Now that isn't very nice. Do you know how much effort went into buying this ice cream?"

"Hm, you had to get off your lazy ass and drive to the store to buy a tub of this delicious tasting frozen snack?"

"Precisely."

Autumn giggled silently and took another small scoop, placing the cold substance on her tongue, letting it melt. "Speaking of being a lazy ass, you wouldn't mind watching Ella tomorrow, would you? I have to go into work for a bit and I'm meeting with Aiden's lawyer and child services to discuss the terms of being Ella legal guardian. Well, actually I'm adopting Ella..."

"You're adopting her?" She nodded. "That's amazing, A. Really." Joe set down the empty bowl on the counter. Autumn shrugged forward, leaning her head onto Joe's chest and closing her eyes. "I can tell you're scared. You have no reason to be, you're going to be fine. And besides, I'm going to help and it's going to be tough to get rid of me."

Autumn sighed in relief lightly, wrapping her arms around Joe's mid section. Joe rested his chin on top of her head and began to run his fingers through her long hair. He kissed her hair before she let go and stepped back.

"Are you okay?" Joe tilted his in a questioning tone.

"I think so. I'm just... She called me 'momma' just moments after you left. She thinks of me as her mother, JJ. I don't know if I should smile about it or cry." Autumn laughed dryly and shook her head. "She's my daughter, starting in the morning. Ella's going to be my daughter."

"In a way, Autumn, I believe that she was always your daughter even though she came from Aiden and his flake of an ex-girlfriend." He sneered at the end. It was amazing of what he thought of people he didn’t know, meaning the bad people he didn’t choose to know in this world.

She understood what he meant, very clearly too. The corners of Autumn's lips turned up into a petite smile, and the smile was granted by the return of a smile from Joe.

Maybe he was the best thing Autumn never knew she needed. However, she was always one to be independent. She always has been, she bas never really relied on others before but this was something completely out of the ordinary for her. Something that Autumn liked very much.

-&&-

The morning came in too much of a hurry. Before Autumn knew it, the alarm clock on the bedside table-- that Joe had generously set for her --was blaring the annoying buzzing sound it always made. Autumn groaned shifting her body around the grip if Joe's arm around her waist.

"Is it six already?" His mumble was close to her ear which cause her to jolt lightly but then quickly go back to ease. Autumn nodded reluctantly as Joe began to use a various amount of curse words under his breath, then releasing his newly found girlfriend so she could start to get ready for the day.

Autumn rolled out of the bed and planted her feet on the cool-to-the-touch hardwood floor. She rolled her head, cracking the bones in her neck then walk towards the bathroom. She proceeded to do a girl's morning routine, followed getting dressed in front of her new boyfriend which he did not mind that she was blocking the television showing sports highlights.

"So she'll probably wake up around eight or so. If there's a problem you can call my cell at anytime, okay? Or call Storm if she isn't too busy..." Autumn trailed off making a suggestive smirk. Joe chuckled lightly and kissed the temple of her head.

"Everything's going to be fine, A. I think we'll just hang around, but my trainer is coming today so I'll pop in The Little Mermaid, since it's her favourite, and she'll be good for days." Autumn tilted her head. "She told me her favourite things the last time I watched her.
For example, her favourite colour is purple and her favourite food is apples."

"Well then." Autumn laughed shallowly. "It's seems like you've got everything under control."

"I do." Joe pressed his lips gently to hers. "You're going to be late for the meeting and we can't have that. I'll call you later, promise."

"Mmkay..." She smiled loosely, pecking his lips one last time before she disappeared into the driver’s side of Joe's Jeep. He waved as she backed out of the gated home and with a sigh, she knew this day was going to be filled with a few dozen Advil tablets.

The parking lot was only half full when Autumn arrived at the lawyers office. She admitted to herself that she was actually scared of what will happen. She was afraid that things could possibly go the wrong way and Miranda, who is the biological mother of Ella, would get custody of her. Then again, since she spilt after a week of Ella breathing, she could have no way of getting a hold of her.

Inside of the offices were surprisingly welcoming. The furniture and the atmosphere made you feel like you were at home. Perhaps that was their way of dealing with things, there was a bowl of sweets on every side table in the room and there were home, fashion and sports magazines. They would hand you a fruity sweet and say: “Oh here, have a sweet! In fact have ten more, it’s not like you just finalized your divorce with your husband/wife and you will not get custody of your kids. Ever. Hey, have another one! I know you want it.”

Autumn shifted in the chair, very uneasy now with what was running through her mind. Just then, a man in his mid-thirties opened an office door across the room. He had on an black Armani suit, just like the one Joseph Gordon-Levitt wore in the Teen Vogue edition of the previous month. His smile was a must, a forced one but then it set into a real, fresh one.

“Miss Lowe, I am guessing?” His voice was very deep and solid. Autumn stood up, nodding. “Follow me in here please.” She walked in, taking the offered set and glanced around the room. He was well educated with plaques and certificates hang up on the wall behind him. There had to be at least ten or so all from Yale, Harvard and Stanford. He must have done extremely well with himself.

“Would you like anything? Tea, coffee, water?”

“No thank you, I’m a bit in a hurry if you don’t mind.”

“Right.” The gold name plate on his desk read: Kent Roberts. He searched through a filing cabinet that was placed up against the corner. He plucked out the file with Aiden’s name written across the top, followed by Ella Mae and Autumn written in smaller letters. “Everything is in place. You have sole custody of your niece. And it has come to my attention that you wish to adopt her, am I correct?”

“Yes. Will everything be in order for that matter?”

“Of course, there is no need to talk to child services. I have to papers in here.” Kent removed a few selected pieces of paper. “Aiden thought if anything were to happen to him that you would take Ella Mae no matter what. He must of knew you quite well.”

“He was my brother...” Autumn took the papers and scanned them over before writing her signature on the bottom lines of the page. “Is that everything?”

“Yes...” He trailed off, looking at her skeptically. Autumn rose an eyebrow, standing up from the leather chair she was sitting in. “You wouldn’t happen to be the daughter of Pearl Lowe, would you?”

“That I am. Why?”

“I was just curious. My father has told me stories about how he supposedly dated your mother.”

Autumn rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she did. I must be going though, work calls.”

“May I ask what you’re doing for dinner tonight?”

A flicker of a smirk danced upon Autumn’s lips. “I have a boyfriend.” It felt good to say that, she loved in. She felt like running around downtown LA and screaming that she had a boyfriend. Who cares that he’s famous, she actually found a guy that likes her for who she is and not her looks.

“Of course you do. Perhaps coffee sometime, then? Just an innocent conversation, besides we’ll probably be talking again to go over money and education.”

“I’m sorry, but what does that really matter? I have money and as for education, Ella is two years old. School doesn’t come to her until she is four. I have everything under control, plus a bonus of five other people willing to help me at any time. So I really don’t think we will need to discuss this matter any time soon, Mr Roberts. Good day.”

Autumn swung the door to his office shut. His secretary jumped and turned her head away from the computer to give Autumn an odd look. The few other people in the Law Firm didn’t really seem to give a damn. She spun the loop of her car keys around her finger, whistling loudly and disappeared out of the Firm.

-&&-

“No, no, no! It’s all wrong. Terribly wrong.” Autumn shook her head, crossing her arms. The set for the next photoshoot having to deal with Blake Lively. “We’re going for New York Nightclub, not Brooklyn Bookstore. Draw another plan up and bring it to me when you have completed it. And as for wardrobe....”

She turned, examining the rack of flashy, sequent clothes. “Perfect, these are perfect, Leslie. This is what you need to do to get a promotion around here people! You need to impress me, and this has impressed me very much. I suggest if you would like to get anywhere in the career you are pursuing you better get your asses into gear.”

“You don’t think you were a bit harsh on them, do you?” Lily whispered to Autumn as she made her way out of production, on her way back towards her office.

“Of course not, Lily. They need to stop lollygagging and start to show me what they got because half of them are ready to be let go. I have a shit load of applicants that would kill to have the jobs that they have. It’s just life, they’ll get over it.”

Lily nodded and sighed lightly. “Alright, Aurty. But I must warn you: You might not want to go into your office just yet... Or ever.”

“Oh Lily, what could possibly be in there? The Boogyman?” Autumn laughed, turning the silver handle and pushing the door open. The chair behind the cluttered desk spun around and Autumn stopped in mid-step.

“Close. Very close.” Lily muttered, burying her face into the stack of papers in her hand.

“What the hell is she doing here?!” Autumn shouted.

“Now, now, Autumn. Is that anyway to greet your mother?” Pearl Lowe stood up from behind the desk and straightened out her tight plaid vest for her petite body type. When Autumn looked at Pearl it was like looking at herself thirty years into the feature with the slight change of having a bob cut hairstyle. Pearl stepped out from behind the desk, the heels of her shoes clicking onto the floor.

“Lily, I’d love to go over the front cover of the next issue, but it seems as Pearl won’t be leaving anytime soon.”

“I’ll just be waiting outside.” Fear was in Lily’s voice. If there was anything Lily was afraid of more than spiders, it was Autumn’s mother. The door shut silently as Lily exited which concealed the tension into the fairly sized office.

“What are you doing here, Mother? I have things that need to be finished.” Autumn started to stack the piles into neat ones. It was only too seem that she really had things to do, when in reality she just wanted to leave work in general to see Joe and Ella. Besides, it was nearing seven in the evening.

Pearl picked up an edition of People Magazine and flipped through until she found the page she was looking for. It was combined page: the left side being Nick and Storm and the other being of Joe, Autumn and Ella.

“Would you explain to me what the hell is? Who is this boy you’re with and why is he holding my granddaughter? And why is Storm holding hands with some kid who has poodle-like hair?!”

Autumn laughed dryly, picking up the magazine. “Well, Mother. This is a picture, you know, that are taken with cameras by paparazzi.”

“Oh, don’t play stupid with me Autumn Rose.”

“Fine. This is Joe Jonas, my boyfriend and he is carrying Ella who is barely your granddaughter since you never seemed to come around to help out your own son when he needed help, Pearl. You practically let your own son die! I lost my brother, my best friend because you—or dad, for that matter—wouldn’t give Aiden the time of day to answer a single fucking phone call or email that he sent!” Autumn breathed out shortly. “And as for Storm, you are not her mother and she can date whoever she wants to date!”

“Don’t you dare use that tone of voice with me. I have helped both you and Aiden as much as I can! You know that.”

“I know that you gave him a hundred dollars American a much. But guess what, Mother? That does pay for sit here, okay? That may still fly in London, but not here in Los Angeles. You had no idea what their living conditions were. You haven’t flown out once since Ella Mae was born. She’s only seen pictures of you and dad with his new wife and kids.”

Pearl dismissed everything Autumn had said. She took her perfectly manicured nail and pointed to the picture of Joe and Ella. “I do not want this Hipster looking freak touching my granddaughter, or you for that matter. I’m taking Ella back to London with me.”

“You don’t have a fucking say in what he does. And guess what, mum? I adopted Ella this morning so you don’t have a fucking say for Ella, either. She is my daughter because she needs a mother, a real mother that will be there for her. And I’m going to give that to her since she didn’t have one and since I didn’t really have one either.” Autumn walked over to the door and opened it wide. “You need to leave.”

“I remember when you got the call to be an intern here, Autumn. You were so excited.” Pearl’s voice was calm and she was very collected. “You never thought in a million years that you’d get the job, remember? And you were right, you weren’t cut out for this but I pulled some strings and they hired you just like that.” She snapped her fingers. “You should consider yourself lucky, Autumn.”

“I didn’t need your help, and to this very day I still don’t. Your son needed your help and you did absolutely nothing. Now leave, or I will call security.”

Pearl smirked, picking up her oversized Gucci purse and rested it her wrist. She walked forward, holding out a business card between her pointer and middle fingers. “I’m going to be staying at the Hilton for a week. Call me if you need anything.” Autumn snatched the card and ripped it into tiny pieces. Pearl laughed subtly, shaking her head. “My dear daughter, you haven’t changed one bit. Still Miss Independent and still a stubborn bitch as ever.”

“I wonder where I learned it from.”