Adopted by Top Gear

Chapter Four: The Top Gear Team

Mercedes followed James across the gravel, which now held a dozen cars, and to the runway of the airfield. A bunch of men were standing around, with recording equipment, and two men off the side looked like they were arguing. James walked over to the bickering men, glancing around to check where Andy was; he was going to flip.

"Er, May, you seem to have a shadow," the shortest man chuckled.

James rolled his eyes. "This is Mercedes. I found her hiding in the hangar."

"Is your last name Benz, by any chance?"

The shorter guy elbowed the guy who'd just spoken, the tallest of them. "Rude, Jezza!"

Mercedes just shook her head. "If it was, I wouldn't know," she told the tall man. "I don't know my parents."

"Oh." The tallan suddenly seemed a little nervous or something, scuffing his shoes. "Sorry."

James turned to Mercedes and said quietly, "Don't worry about Jeremy, he's constantly putting his foot in it."

Mercedes just laughed and nodded. The longer she looked at these guys, the more familiar they seemed.

"Then again, so does Richard," James nodded towards the shorter man, who was fiddling with his jacket zipper.

"Did you sneak in here for filming?" Jeremy joked.

Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "Filming?" That explained the equipment. "No, I was just, um... hiding."

The shortest guy, Richard, glanced at her. "Hiding? From what?"

"Um, Ms. Summers."

"Who's Miss Summers?"

"Ms. Summers. She runs the orphanage," Mercedes said, ducking her head.

"Why are you hiding from her?" James asked softly.

She didn't lift her eyes from the gravel. "I don't want to go back." Her head whipped up with pleading eyes. "You can't send me back, please. I don't want to live there anymore, it's horrible!"

James crouched down next to her. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to go anywhere." He glanced up at the other men. "Are you hungry?"

She glanced at him. "Yes," she said. "Do you have any porridge?"

He laughed. "No, I don't think so. But we do have toast, and possibly a pie."

"A pie for breakfast?"

"Not the healthiest breakfast, I suppose," he mused.

Richard stepped in. "How about we go somewhere we can get a proper breakfast?"

Mercedes smiled up at him, but it quickly dropped again. "Don't you guys have to film something?"

He shook his head. "I don't have until later. So whaddya say? I know a café that sells French toast."

Her whole face lit up. "Yes, please!"

He laughed and nodded. "Come on, then, we'll go in my Porsche. You seem like a car girl."