Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter six of "Ride the Wind II: Justice Unbound." I'm glad it took just five days to get out. I can't believe I've already gotten twenty-five reviews. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. A special shoutout goes to Tasha Hill, Alex B Goode, Ghostwriter, brankel1, John, Wolfgirl2013, and TommyOliverMMPRFan for being continuous reviewers. Your support means the world to me. As for other readers, please don't hesitate to review. I'd love to hear what you'd like to see in this crossover. I don't mind that at all. If you really like it, put it in your author alert and favorites lists. You'll be able to keep track of it better. Anyway, this chapter features the first appearance of Andros and Ashley. There is a little fluff involving them. Zhane and Karone will appear in the next one. I should mention that this crossover will have far fewer appearances of J-Pod. This includes Willy. The main focus is on Jesse, Nadine, Elvis, Randolph, Andros, Ashley, Zhane, and Karone investigating Lilli and trying to find out if she and Isabella are one in the same. Stay tuned for chapter seven.

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Chapter 6: Feeling Like Running Everywhere

A black-throated sparrow flew above an Angel Grove neighborhood. It spotted the Parker-Hammond residence and decided to go downward. It landed on a windowsill. It looked inside to see Ashley folding a red t-shirt and placing in a suitcase on her and Andros's bed in their room. She laid it gently on top of other clothes.

She looked around the medium-sized room. It had pine nightstands and a pine dresser. The walls were light blue and contained splotches of dark blue all over them. A desk containing a computer, a printer, and a picture scanner sat in front of the window. The computer was attached to the wall by a cable modem. A mirror hung on the closet door. The floor was hardwood. A gray squared-shaped rug covered most of it.

Ashley pressed her lips together. Andros got a call from Jesse about Glen and Annie adopting Missy as their daughter. He was thrilled at the news as he had learned from him that his parents had been wanting to adopt another child with Annie's preference for a girl. He told his girlfriend, who felt the same way. He informed the rest of their friends. They expressed happiness about it.

Ashley's grandfather, Ben, died of a heart attack on June 15, 2011. Her other grandfather, Gerald Humphrey, followed suit from a massive stroke six days later. Both deaths sent her into a deep depression for six months. She became withdrawn from everyone, including Andros. It caused strain in their relationship. He tried getting her to talk about her grandfathers' deaths, but it resulted in them arguing. He finally confronted her, and she broke down. They rebuilt their relationship.

Ashley was devastated when Andros told her that Jesse had called him to inform him about Isabella's disappearance and presumed death. She remembered all the times they and their friends encountered her during their camping trips. They loved how playful she was with her immediate family and the rest of her pod. They let Tommy, Jason, and Billy know. The men told their girlfriends and children. All of them were saddened. Andros was delighted when Jesse called to tell him about the births of Nessa and Kyle. He let everyone know about it, and the group showed their happiness.

Tommy called Andros and told him that he, Kim, Jason, Trini, Billy, and Kat were taking Heather, Benny, and Olivia to Caribou, Maine for a weeklong vacation. Andros asked Ashley if she would like to visit Glen, Annie, and Missy in Seattle during that week. He mentioned they could stay in a rental house owned by their friends, Barry and Millie Chant. She said that she would love to. They invited Zhane and Karone to come along. Their friends accepted the invitation on the condition that they have lunch together at Arby's before they go to the airport. Andros and Ashley were fine with that.

Ashley made her way over to the window. She looked out it at the clouds that seemed to be lowering toward the ground. She could hardly believe it had been four years since the first camping trip to San Juan Island. She was so shocked to learn that Polaris had been pregnant when she was riding her to shore after learning about Star's birth. She and Andros were delighted to see her for the first time at the Rubbing Rocks during their second stay on San Juan Island in June 2010. She even took a picture of Andros petting Polaris on the rock as Star surfaced beside her and spouted air from her blowhole.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody started playing. She approached her nightstand, where her IPhone lay. She picked it up. She saw Grandma with her phone number of 617-666-8899. She touched it, causing the ringtone to stop as the second play started. She put it to her ear.

"Hello?" Ashley asked.

"Good morning, Ashley," Kayla responded cheerfully.

"Good morning yourself, Grandma," Ashley said in a very warm voice. "How are you doing?"

"I am doing fine," Kayla said and cleared her throat. "How about you?"

"I am doing fine too. I just finished packing my last suitcase," Ashley explained with a small giggle. "I am getting ready to take it downstairs, so Andros can put it in the car."

"That's nice. You are so lucky you, your boyfriend, and two of your friends are going to Seattle for a week," Kayla said.

"When Andros told me Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Billy, and Kat were taking their kids to Caribou for a week and suggested we visit Seattle, how could I say no?" Ashley said, giving a shrug. "Besides, I've been itching go visit Glen and Annie. We haven't seen them and Missy since our camping trip on San Juan Island last year. They were visiting the rest of their family at the time. Randolph is part of their family since he is Nadine's godfather."

"When you first told your grandfathers and me Jesse's story of how he met Willy, we were so shocked to learn he busted that orca out of captivity," Kayla said in amazement.

"It was a snap decision. Jesse knew there was no time to call the police. He and Randolph needed to get Willy out of the tank. They called Rae for help. Had Dial been arrested for illegally acquiring a protected orca, Willy would've been transferred to a sea pen and released once J-Pod passed," Ashley pointed out.

"Dial shouldn't have been able to escape charges for what he did," Kayla said, hints of anger lining her voice.

"When you have a lot of money, you can buy authorities off. In his case, the police didn't want to mess with it. He was able to go on like nothing happened," Ashley mumbled.

"You shouldn't have interacted with Willy or any of his podmates during your first camping trip to San Juan Island on the rock or in the water," Kayla answered very seriously. "They are wild animals. They could've hurt you. You have no experience being near them."

"I understand your concerns, but Jesse was with us the first time we interacted with Willy and his family. He taught us how to do it safely," Ashley said honestly.

"Still, it was dangerous," Kayla whispered.

"You are such a worrywart, Grandma," Ashley grumbled, rolling her eyes. "That will never change."

Ashley rubbed her nose. She felt fortunate that her grandmother lived on the other side of the country. She didn't have to deal with her meddling. Her grandfathers were no better than Kayla was while they were alive. However, she did enjoy their visits, especially at Christmas. They did try to keep quiet about her life choices, but there were times they couldn't help but make comments.

"I can't believe we are using IPhones now," Kayla said in great awe. "It feels like only yesterday we had landline phones."

"Yeah. I feel so old," Ashley responded sarcastically. "Anyway, our plane is leaving at two-thirty. We should be in Seattle by five o'clock."

"When I was young, it took planes a lot longer to travel from one place to the next," Kayla admitted. "Now, it takes less than six hours to fly from one end of the country to the other."

"Isn't technology grand?" Ashley said, sighing contently. She became serious quickly. "Unfortunately, it has turned many people into zombies. They can't go anywhere without their phones."

"I saw a lady around my age playing a game on her phone at Arby's last week. Her grandson was trying to get her attention. She ignored him," Kayla said, scoffing irritatingly. She mumbled inaudible words in Spanish. "That ticked me off to no end."

Ashley bit her lip. "Old people say only young people are addicted to their phones. What you said proves that is not true. They are just as bad, if not worse."

Kayla huffed. "That's right."

Ashley slipped a lock of hair behind her ear. She wanted to show older people that their own were just as addicted to their phones as young ones were so much. Of course, she knew that would be futile because they always denied that was true.

"I wish more technology could be used to save the environment," Ashley whispered sadly.

"It is terrible that nine Southern Resident orcas died last year. Two have already died this year," Kayla groaned.

"When TJ and Cassie took a trip to San Juan Island with Sammy for Christmas Break last year, they said they would try to get pictures of J48. They went on a whale-watching boat. They encountered J-Pod, including Slick. J48 was nowhere to be found. They thought they just missed the calf," Ashley explained.

"That's not unusual when it comes to orcas. They will pop up wherever they want," Kayla said matter-of-factly.

"It was like when Jesse told us that he, Nadine, Nancy, Elvis, and Randolph didn't see Max anywhere during an encounter with J-Pod in December 2010," Ashley commented. "They feared he had died. He popped up during another encounter two days later. It seemed he was off doing his own thing."

"Talk about a pleasant surprise," Kayla responded and laughed in much delight.

"Unfortunately, more whale-watchers reported they didn't see J48 either. It was declared missing and presumed dead," Ashley muttered, a sniffle coming out of her mouth.

Kayla sighed heavily. "It's unfortunate, but at least four new babies have been born since then." She giggled.

"Yes," Ashley agreed. She looked at her watch. "I have to go. Our plane ride will be here before we know it. I need to finish packing."

"All right," Kayla said. "Have a nice time in Seattle. Don't do anything crazy."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "I won't. Talk to you soon."

Ashley hung up her IPhone and slipped it into her pocket. She grabbed a blue blouse. She proceeded to fold it.

00000

Ashley was placing three pairs of socks on top of her clothes in her suitcase seven minutes later. She did the same with four pairs of underwear. She closed it and locked it. She clapped three times while looking very satisfied. Footsteps caught her attention. She turned to see Andros coming into the room. He came to her side.

"Hey there, Ash," he greeted and kissed her cheek.

"Hey yourself," she replied with a smile. "My last suitcase is packed and ready to go."

"Great," Andros said, happiness showing in his voice. "What else is up?"

"Grandma called fifteen minutes ago. I talked with her for a few minutes. I wasn't expecting her to call this morning, but I guess she wanted to catch me before I left town," Ashley suggested.

"Most likely," Andros agreed.

"She told me how I shouldn't have interacted with Willy and his podmates because they were wild animals like she always does," Ashley said with a shrug. "I understand her concerns, but she doesn't need to worry about us. We know what we are doing."

"She's just looking out for her granddaughter. That's all," Andros said matter-of-factly.

"The bright side is it shows she cares," Ashley murmured with relief. "If she didn't care, she'd be fine with us swimming alongside dangerous sharks without any protective gear such as a cage."

"That is crazy," Andros said, shuddering badly.

"You got that right," Ashley replied and flicked his nose. "Yes, you do."

He kissed her forehead. He kept his lips there for thirty seconds before pulling away. He looked her in the eye.

"I am astounded it's been fifteen years since we started dating," Andros said, laughing to himself. "It feels like only yesterday."

"It also feels like only yesterday when you had your first visit to Earth. You didn't even know what a surfboard or a milkshake was," Ashley replied and made a funny noise.

"What do you expect from a guy who grew up on a planet with no oceans or ice cream?" Andros asked and spoke gibberish. "Now, ice cream is popular on KO-35."

She giggled in much delight. "So are pizza, chocolate, pies, and so many other foods."

"How about I buy a pie and smash it in your face right now?" Andros teased and tickled her nose.

"Do it. I dare you," Ashley threatened in a playful manner.

"Okay," Andros said and acted as if he were leaving. He shook his head. "I think I will stay here."

"You little chicken," Ashley grumbled.

He smirked and growled playfully. "If I am a little chicken, then that makes you a big chicken."

Andros and Ashley kissed and rubbed noses. They pressed their foreheads together with contented sighs. They stayed this way for ten seconds before pulling away. He grabbed his IPhone from his pocket. He looked at it with raised eyebrows.

"Not once did I ever think I would be using this neat device," Andros admitted and turned to his girlfriend. "I feel so old having an IPhone."

"Me too," Ashley agreed. "Still, it is really cool. We can actually record videos on this thing."

"The pictures are a lot clearer," Andros said as he swiped the screen, which brought him to the first page. He touched the picture app to bring up his pictures. He scrolled down to a set containing Southern Resident orcas. He touched one of J48 surfacing beside Slick (J16) in which he enlarged it. He narrowed his eyes at the open saddle patch on her right side and the tiny dip in its right eyepatch. "This is the picture of J48 that Jesse sent me when he, Nadine, Nancy, and Randolph first saw it. It was only a few days old."

"Unfortunately, TJ and Cassie reported they didn't see the calf. Little Sammy was disappointed. More whale-watchers said they didn't see it either. Researchers were forced to declare it missing and presumed dead in January of last year. It was only a month old when it died," Ashley explained with a frown. "There is no doubt J-Pod mourned the loss of that calf."

"It sucks ass when a new calf appears with a Southern Resident pod and disappears not long after," Andros mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. "That moment of hope disappears just like that." He snapped his fingers.

"Exactly," Ashley agreed with a nod. She observed him bringing up his home screen and turning off his IPhone. She pressed her lips together as he slipped it into his pocket. "It is a well-known fact that fifty percent of Southern Resident calves don't survive their first six months."

"Do you remember when Jesse showed us pictures of Raven aka K28?" Andros wondered.

"Yes, I do," Ashley admitted with a heavy sigh. "She had her first calf when she was twelve years old. That was in June 2006. Its designated number was K39. She disappeared three months later. Before then, she was seen with the condition called peanut head. It is where blubber is depleted to the point that an orca has a peanut shape to its head. K39 disappeared a month later. I think birth complications led Raven to become very sick and lose a lot of weight."

"I agree," Andros said, frowning a bit. "It is unusual for a female orca to give birth to her first calf at age twelve. I think there is more potential for complications with younger mothers."

"Yes, but Kalina had her first calf when she was seven-and-a-half years old at SeaWorld Texas. Keet is now twenty and is a father to eight-year-old Kalia. She is Kasatka's daughter. All three of them live at SeaWorld California," Ashley murmured.

"Yep," Andros said with a nod. "They seem to get along quite well."

She chuckled. She remembered when she saw Kalia as a calf in January 2005. She thought the little female looked so cute. She imagined herself jumping into pictures containing her, so she could play with her. She let out a sad sigh.

"It sucks that the Southern Resident orcas are still struggling to survive. It's as if no one cares about them," she mumbled and sniffled.

"The public is more interested in protesting marine parks than helping the Southern Residents," Andros hissed in annoyance. "Extreme anti-caps really think the best way to save orcas is to stand on a street corner and hold up a sign that says, 'Empty the tanks.' That's not doing anything, except making protesters look like fools."

"I respect their beliefs, but that doesn't give them the right to shove them down everyone's throats," Ashley mumbled and rolled her eyes.

"The same people will complain about pro-caps shoving their beliefs down their throats," Andros said and acted as if he were spitting at the floor. "What hypocrites."

Ashley nodded sharply. "You got that right. All that hypocrites do is make themselves look stupid. Then again, we've been hypocritical at one time or another."

"Yes, but it was accidental," Andros pointed out truthfully. "Anyway, let me get that suitcase into the trunk, okay?"

"Okay," Ashley said, smiling warmly. "Just don't let the other suitcases come to life and eat you." She giggled.

Andros stood tall and proud. "Ha. That doesn't scare me."

"Nothing scares you," Ashley said, kissing his cheek. "Now, get going on the double!"

Andros saluted his girlfriend. He picked up the suitcase and headed out of the room. She headed over to the window and stared out it at the backyard. She observed two American robins flying over it.