Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter seven of "Ride the Wind II: Justice Unbound." I'm glad it took just four days to get out. This chapter features the first appearance of Zhane and Karone. There is a little fluff involving them as well. The fandoms will be meeting very soon. Stay tuned for chapter eight.

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Chapter 7: Just Peachy

A northern mockingbird sat on top of the Parker-Hardy residence's roof. It chirped a beautiful melody. It became quiet after forty seconds. It bobbed its head before running its beak through its chest feathers. It spread its wings and flew downward. It landed on the kitchen windowsill. It flapped its wings in which it aired them out. It folded them against its back.

The mockingbird looked inside in which it spotted Karone looking through printed pictures of the Southern Resident orcas while sitting at the table. She gazed at one of Slick and J48 surfacing together. She traced the latter's dorsal with her finger. She moved it to its right eyepatch to do the same. She propped her head up with her elbow.

"Oh, J48," Karone whispered sadly. She pressed her lips together. She let out a long yawn. She smacked her lips. She suppressed another one. "If only you could be here right now. You would've likely enjoyed playing with several young orcas."

She wiped a tear from her eye. She remembered when J48 was declared missing and presumed dead. She cried for the entire day. She had wanted to get pictures of the calf from TJ and Cassie during their camping trip to San Juan Island. She had desired to get some of her own while camping with Zhane and her friends there.

She stood up and went over to the cabinet next to the sink. She got a mug while sighing softly. She headed over to the silverware drawer to get a spoon. She approached the coffeemaker. She grabbed the kettle. She poured coffee into the mug until it was nearly full. She returned the kettle to the coffeemaker. She put three spoonfuls of sugar into her coffee.

Karone stirred the contents before laying the mug on the counter. She took the spoon to the sink, laying it there. She returned to her coffee and picked it up. She took a long sip and nodded in approval. She looked up at the sound of the front door opening and closing. She listened to approaching footsteps. She saw Zhane coming into the kitchen. He came to her side.

"I just put the last suitcase in the car's trunk," he said as he rubbed his nose. "We are completely finished with our packing."

"That is great," she said, smiling. "I can't believe our plane is leaving in less than three hours. It feels like only yesterday that we started planning our trip to Seattle."

"Andros was smart to think of us going on our own vacation," Zhane said, warmth echoing from his voice. "Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Billy, and Kat wanted time alone with their kids. I can't say I blame them."

"The childless couples need time to themselves as well," Karone said while gesturing toward him and herself. "This is the perfect opportunity for it."

"It will be nice to see Glen, Annie, Missy, Jesse, Nadine, Nancy, Elvis, and Randolph," Zhane commented with much eagerness. "Glen and Annie were sweet to take Missy in after she lost her parents to a car crash."

"Missy was just fifteen when her parents died. She had no place to go because her aunt wanted nothing to do with her," Karone grumbled and scoffed in some irritation. "How can anyone turn their back on their own flesh and blood?"

"They are just selfish," Zhane responded very bluntly. "Becky didn't want to give up her partying ways to care for her niece. She saw her as a burden on her lifestyle." He shook his head in disbelief. "Missy didn't see much of her during her childhood. When she did see her, Becky was demanding money from her parents."

"Some parents are just like that with their children. They don't see them unless they want money. They expect them to fork it over because they brought them into the world," Karone said and rolled her eyes. "Adult children don't owe their parents anything. They shouldn't be expected to manage their parents' finances, especially when they have their own families to take care of."

"Unfortunately, some people think adult children should do that. They don't care if the children get tired of their parents' irresponsible behavior. They want them to continue to tolerate it," Zhane said in disgust. "They think cutting off family in any way, shape, or form means you are contributing to the destruction of family values."

"That is not true," Karone replied as she shook her head fast. "I understand that adult children don't want to cut off their toxic parents because they fear the scorn of society. However, keeping horrible people in your life damages your mental health. It does hurt to break away, but it is the best thing you can do."

"Some people think toxic parenting is a made-up term. They think young people who cut off contact with their parents are just spoiled brats who aren't getting their way," Zhane explained. "That may be true for some, but it isn't true for many. Those young people's parents were really toxic."

"In the old days, many children did deal with toxic parents. It was a lot easier to break away from them as teens back then. They ran away from their abusive homes and got jobs in another town. Their parents didn't even care if they left. It did mean leaving school, but at least the teens were safe from their parents' cruelty," Karone pointed out.

"Today is very different. Teens can't drop out of high school because most jobs require a high school diploma now. They have to deal with abusive parents for a bit longer than they did in the old days," Zhane muttered in sadness. "I've read stories about elderly people who had friends who were being abused by their parents. They tried to alert the police, only to be turned away. They learned their friends died later on. The deaths were attributed to accidents, but they knew their friends' parents had beaten them to death."

"It's terrible," Karone murmured with a sniffle. "At least they tried to help them. Many abused children have no one to help them."

She took a tiny sip of her coffee. She placed other hand on her mug and tapped her finger against it.

"I remember the first time I tried coffee. I cringed at how bitter it tasted," Karone said, laughing softly. "Andros added cream and sugar to it. It tasted a lot better."

"Coffee is a popular drink on KO-35 now," Zhane admitted, smiling warmly.

"It's been an amazing fifteen years of dating and living on Earth. It became our second home," Karone said, happiness showing in her voice. "We've gotten to know so many nice Earthlings."

"I couldn't understand Earth customs at first, but Ashley's explanations of them made adjusting a bit easier," Zhane murmured.

She squeaked. "I have a great job working as an orca trainer. I am doing rocket hops now."

"The Angel Grove Aquarium vowed to continue waterworks with orcas, despite Dawn Brancheau's death at the jaws of Tillikum at SeaWorld Florida. The owner has even dared people to come after him over it. He is determined to fight back," Zhane said, chuckling. "He is as tough as nails."

"Derek is a great businessman. He never lets anyone knock him down," Karone said proudly.

He nodded sharply. "Oh, yeah."

He looked toward the table. He made his way over to it and focused his attention on the pictures. He picked up the one of Slick and J48. She joined his side. She sipped a little more of her coffee.

"I remember when Jesse emailed pictures of Slick and J48 to us, so we could print them out. He also sent them to our phones," Zhane whispered and frowned. "It sucks that this little one isn't around anymore."

"The calf died after only a month of life. It looked healthy when it was first spotted," Karone said truthfully.

"Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving," Zhane admitted in some bluntness. "TJ and Cassie wanted to get pictures of this calf so much. Sammy wanted to see it just as much."

Karone pressed her lips together. "We can't always get what we want."

"So true," Zhane agreed. "What do you say we look at these pictures for a little bit before Andros and Ashley get here?"

"Sure," Karone said eagerly. "Just don't let the pictures come to life and start dancing around."

Zhane laughed sarcastically. "Very funny."

Karone sat down with a light grunt. Zhane seated himself beside her and gestured toward J48. He proceeded to talk about the similarities between it and its mother.

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Zhane and Karone were still sitting at the table eighteen minutes later. He was holding a picture of Andros petting Polaris on her nose while kneeling on the rock as Star surfaced beside her at the Rubbing Rocks. Andros was looking toward the calf, who had air coming out of her blowhole. Her mother's mouth was slightly open. Karone couldn't help but smile. She had finished her coffee and placed the mug in the dishwasher.

"Star looks so sweet in this picture. Polaris looks happy to see Andros again," she said with a small laugh. "It's hard to believe Star is nearly four years old now."

"No denying that," he agreed and cleared his throat. "When Star was first spotted with her mother, researchers actually thought she was Moby. Moby was born a few months earlier to Princess Angeline. Then they realized she was too small to be him. They were excited Polaris had given birth to her first calf, though it is possible she had one before in which it was stillborn or died soon after birth." He gave a shrug.

"The firstborn calves of Southern Resident mothers often don't survive their first year due to the offload of toxins they inherit from them," Karone explained and sighed heavily. "If Polaris did give birth before, that means Star has a better chance of making it to adulthood."

"Unfortunately, Polaris did have another baby that didn't survive. He was discovered in Long Beach, Washington. I don't even think his cause of death has been pinpointed," Zhane said, shuddering a little bit.

"Sometimes, autopsies never determine a cause of death," Karone said, giving a shrug. "It's the way the world works."

Zhane snorted. "You got that right."

Karone smirked. "Hey, I am always right."

"No way," Zhane said, shaking his head rapidly.

"Yes way," Karone yelled while nodding just as fast.

"You want a knuckle sandwich?" Zhane asked and presented a fist.

She growled playfully. "Do it. I dare—"

The doorbell scared Zhane and Karone out of their wits. They clutched their chests, their hearts racing. They panted hard and fast. They looked toward the front door. Their heartrates became normal, and they caught their breaths. She gathered her pictures.

"Who could be at the door?" Karone wondered.

"I say it's Andros and Ashley," Zhane responded, getting up. He spoke gibberish. "Either that or it was a kid who decided it would be fun to ring the doorbell and run off."

She rose to her feet. "I hope not."

Zhane and Karone walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. The room happened to be large. It had bright yellow walls, a couch, two pine end tables, and a glass coffee table. The TV sat in an entertainment center across from the couch. The floor contained hardwood. A square-shaped blue rug covered most of it.

The couple stopped close to the door. Zhane stepped up to it very carefully. He looked through the peephole. He saw Andros and Ashley standing before it. He could see her slipping a lock of hair behind her ear and running her hand over her face. He sighed in relief and looked toward Karone, who came to his side with a small snort.

"It's Andros and Ashley," he said.

"Don't just stand there," she barked. "Open the door."

Zhane waved her off. "All right."

Zhane turned back to the door and unlocked it. He opened it, forming a big smile on his face.

"Hey, Andros, Ashley, it's great to see you," Zhane said, giving Andros a high-give and Ashley a hug.

"It's great to see you too, buddy," Andros said and ruffled his best friend's hair. He and Ashley walked in after Zhane stepped aside. He came to the center of the room, as did she. They turned around as Zhane closed the door. "So, are you two all loaded up?"

"We sure are," Zhane answered, coming up to the couple. He eyed Karone coming to his side. He turned back to them. "I think you two meeting us at our house was a great idea. We don't have worry about waiting for anyone at the airport."

"All four of us know that flights can be delayed or canceled for any reason," Andros said, crossing his arms. "Both scenarios suck to no end, but what can we do?"

"We'd embarrass ourselves in front of a bunch of people if we threw huge fits over flights being delayed or canceled," Ashley commented, making a funny noise.

"No shit, Sherlock," Andros said and spoke gibberish.

"Bratty children throw huge fits when their parents won't buy treats at grocery stores," Karone grumbled and rolled her eyes. She drew a circle in midair with her finger. "Their parents tell them to stop their shenanigans, but they eventually give in and purchase the treats."

"That's not how parents should deal with such horrible behavior. They need to keep saying no," Zhane commented.

"Unfortunately, parents think telling their children no destroys their self-esteem. They give them whatever they want. That creates little monsters with a huge sense of entitlement," Ashley muttered and let out a heavy sigh. "Veronica is one of those monsters. Her parents gave her everything, and she never appreciated them for it."

"Nor did she give them anything in return," Karone added with an angry scoff. "She called us stupid when she overheard us talking about swimming with Willy during our first camping trip. She acted like the plight of the Southern Resident orcas was no big deal." She mumbled obscenities in Spanish.

"It is a huge deal when their extinction would change the course of the Pacific Northwest drastically," Ashley said in much bluntness. "No fish, no blackfish."

Andros, Zhane, and Karone voiced their agreement. They had become very attached to the Southern Resident orcas ever since their first camping trip on San Juan Island. They hated it when an orca's death was announced. They wished they could stop the deaths from happening. They knew Ashley and the others felt the same way. Unfortunately, they knew that was impossible.

"I am aching to get some lunch at Arby's," Andros commented very eagerly.

"I am too," Karone agreed. "However, I need to use the bathroom first."

"I do too," Zhane added and raised his hand.

Ashley raised her eyebrows. "Okay. Andros and I will wait here."

Andros chuckled. "We sure will."

Zhane and Karone mouthed Andros's sentence in a mocking manner. They headed out of the living room and down the hallway. Andros and Ashley started talking about Willy's capture.

00000

Andros and Ashley were still waiting for Zhane and Karone to be finished using the bathroom eight minutes later. She moved her hand down the strap of her purse. She dug the heel of her white tennis shoe into the floor. She did the same to the toe. He slipped his hands into his pockets. He moved his head from side to side. This stretched his neck.

"I remember when Kim, Kat, and Trini rushed to the bathroom every ten minutes during their pregnancies," Ashley whispered, laughing quietly. "It was so difficult not to joke about them downing whole jugs of water."

"I know. At least their pregnancies went very well," Andros responded in much relief. "I would've been worried about them if they had been high risk."

"So would Zhane, Karone, and I," Ashley added.

"It's funny how some women love being pregnant, but they don't like taking care of their babies at all," Andros said, tensing a bit.

"Those women enjoy the attention being pregnant gives them. They don't want anyone diverting it away from them after they give birth," Ashley explained, looking disgusted. "They think the children are there for them. They don't like responsibility."

The couple heard footsteps approaching. They turned to see Zhane and Karone coming into the living room. She had her pictures in an envelope. They sighed in content.

"You two took a long time in the bathroom," Ashley scolded playfully.

"Did the shower monster jump out and try to one of you?" Andros asked with a snicker.

"It did try to get me," Karone answered while nodding slowly. "I kicked it into oblivion."

"Great," Ashley commented happily. "Now, let's get this show on the road!"

Zhane made his way to the front door with his friends and girlfriend right on his tail. He unlocked it and opened it. Andros, Ashley, and Karone walked outside. They stopped in the driveway. Zhane locked the door. He headed out, closing it with a loud slam. He stretched his arms above his head before letting out a small yawn. He placed them at his sides.

Andros and Ashley approached the first car. Zhane and Karone did the same with the second one. Both cars happened to be Chevrolet. The first was light brown while the second was dark brown. They were a little faded. The first car scar contained scratches along the sides. Bird poop happened to be in the upper left hand corner of the windshield on the second one.

Andros got in the driver's seat, as did Ashley in the passenger one. Zhane and Karone mimicked their actions. All four riders buckled their seatbelts. They adjusted the shoulder parts of them. The drivers started the engines. Zhane backed out of the driveway first. Andros did the same. They drove down the street as a gray squirrel raced across it behind them.