Author's Note:
I wanted to take a moment to reassure my readers that my health issues last month were in no way caused by my writing Guardian Blue. After all, leading up to it, I barely had time to write at all, and what little time I had I was too exhausted to actually write. If I am writing, and you are reading this, it's a GOOD thing. It means I am being given time to do the thing that brings me happiness! With that said, I am enjoying the chance to really do more writing, as I have a new room mate who helps run interference a little to give me time to write as well!
If you are just joining Guardian Blue for the first time, you will want to check out Season 1 and 2 first, and I would highly recommend Thanks for the Fox even before that as well so everything makes sense. ^^ Duke of Absolution will likely also be needed. This story is getting big.
Zootopia is property of Disney. Most of these characters are also property of Disney. Motti is mine. Disney can pry her from my cold dead hands. .
Also! Another HUGE shout-out to J. N. Squire for assisting with editing for Season 3. Also, I would like to extend a special thank you to a few others who are helping me to keep updating and keep the quality high even with my busy schedule, and my friend Alex who helps me greatly with beta-reading! I will be doing something special to recognize them soon!
Guardian Blue: Season Three
Episode 6: Kit
Judy held her phone inches from her beloved vulpine's nose, muscles tense in frustration as he read the email, seated at the dining room table, still in his uniform. She had replied to the email that her friend had written the previous night and asked how she enjoyed New Reynard. The answer she almost immediately got was mostly positive, but she was informed that there was a 'funny' incident regarding a fox kit. From New Reynard.
That fox kit was now sitting in their living room, munching on some cheese cubes and sipping lime soda.
"He… He what – He went to Bunnyburrow?" Nick asked, trying to put it together. Judy had been so happy about half an hour ago when she got the email. Her friendship with Sharla was not unsalvageable. That was important. Sharla made friends with Honey, it seemed. She got her brother back. She was cooperating with Pawlander. Everything was nice. Then this. This was absolutely alarming!
"He went there to GET Sharla!" Judy hissed in exasperation. "You called his mother already, right? Did she tell you where he was supposed to be?"
"Here. She only said he was supposed to visit me." Nick stood up slowly. "And, she was unaware that I didn't know anything about it. So, our little foxy friend in there has not been especially honest with us. I covered for him and let her think I was already aware but in light of the email you have shown me… that would appear to have been in error."
"What do we do about that? We aren't his parents," informed Judy. "But we can't just… let that go, and we have work tomorrow. I don't want to drop this problem onto mom, she doesn't deserve that." Judy had become perfectly comfortable with calling Vivienne mom, and the older vixen was delighted by that.
"Wait, you mean Sam doesn't deserve being handed over to my mother after that, don't you?" Nick laughed at the thought.
"Nick, this is serious! He basically ran away! For a getting!" Judy watched her calm partner read the email further.
"Minstrels. He hired minstrels. That's actually pretty good." Nick slowly nodded.
"Nick!" snapped Judy.
"What, it's probably like… his first getting. That's pretty good for a first getting. It shows measured consideration for the one who's earned it."
"He travelled hundreds of miles by himself and lied to his mother about what he was doing!" the bunny hissed, trying to keep her voice down. She certainly didn't want to startle the little fox kit, but this was every possible color of unacceptable behavior. Surely her husband saw that!
"So, let's talk to him." Nick left his paws limply by his sides, as if just… not anxious at all. How could he be so calm? Judy's mind spun rapidly. Were they culpable for anything here? Could they be in trouble harboring a fox kit who might be implicated in wrongdoing if he'd only just arrived at their apartment when it was already done?
"Should we call his mom back?" Judy whispered.
"No, if that was going to discourage him he'd not have done this in the first place," the fox stated casually.
"His dad then?" pressed Judy.
"I've never met his dad. And neither has he," Nick replied without any obvious emotion. Judy covered her muzzle. Oh. Did she even want to know more about that? It wasn't really her business. "Don't worry, I'll talk to him. You don't have to say anything. I'm his cousin, remember? I'm family."
"Still, he's not… he's not technically our responsibility. I don't want to ruffle his mom's fluff either." Judy knew how her mom would feel if she had been dressed down without her parents even being informed what was going on.
"He's in my home, he's staying the night. I'm in charge," Nick stated. Judy's ears perked up. Nick liked to defer the whole 'responsibility' thing generally, but for some reason, in this case, he was really adamant about taking the bull by the horns. It was pretty surprising.
She followed her fox out into the living room. Sam was on the couch, sitting with his legs crossed, blue eyes locked on the TV. There was a cartoon on that Judy couldn't even place. It was something on Howlu. Nick picked up the remote and switched off the television.
"Huh? Oh… Wait, it can't be bed time yet…" Sam blinked blankly at the screen.
"Wanna tell me why you really came out here, Sam?" asked the fox.
"Huh? I… Uh…" His eyes darted back and forth to the fox and bunny, perhaps trying to determine what they might know. Judy drummed her foot nervously. This was uncomfortable. She just didn't know this fox well. He was friendly and fun, but he'd definitely taken this too far.
"The sheep, Sam." Nick didn't let him come up with another excuse.
"Oh." He suddenly looked like he was going to return the cheese.
"What, specifically, did you tell your mom you were going to do?" inquired the older fox.
"Visit you and Judy," he said sullenly.
"And?" Nick pressed back.
"That's all I said."
"Who bought the ticket?" the vulpine officer asked. Judy reflected a moment on the fact that him being in uniform might be a lot scarier to the kit. She hoped this wasn't going to traumatize him.
"I did. With money I saved from helping out in the diner." He stared at his little feet.
"Obviously your mother would not have let you go if she knew you were going there for a getting," Nick explained. "So, you told her you were coming to visit me. What can you tell me about the sheep you tried to embarrass?"
"She insulted," he started.
Nick cut him off, "I know that part. I mean, what can you tell me about her?"
Sam seemed taken aback by that. He paused for a brief moment then spoke. "Uh… She said she knew Judy… like from way back… She was there to get help with a problem from Honey. Motti went with her. Motti punched her in the face. She's my favorite now that Aunt Vivienne's gone."
"Oh God," Judy covered her muzzle. Sharla got punched in the face by Motti? What?!
"I… Wh… Okay, I'll… Hold on…" Nick covered his eyes a moment, taking a breath. Yeah. It was a lot to process, fox - you wanted this, Judy thought. After getting himself back on the rails, her husband continued. "I mean, who is Sharla? Aside from what she did to 'offend' you, what was going on with her?"
"I don't know. She was…" The little fox reflected a moment. "I don't know, I guess."
Nick sighed slowly. "Sam, Sharla the sheep was there because her brother was missing, and she presumed he'd died." The kit's eyes went very wide and he appeared even more ill.
"I… I didn't know about that," he stated.
"You can't just…" Nick snapped his fingers to get Sam's attention, as he'd looked away, obviously ashamed. "You can't just proceed with a getting if you don't know anything about the mammal that you intend to get."
Judy's ears fell back hard. Wait. That was the takeaway here? She would not have even discussed the nature of the getting! There were so many other things wrong with what this kit had done! She clenched her teeth.
"I just… It wasn't like I was mean or anything. It was meant to be a funny getting. They're supposed to be right?" The little fox appeared to understand, at least, that he was in trouble for his actions. Judy sat down across from him in a dining room chair she'd brought into the room with her.
"Sam, do you understand why … we even have 'gettings'?" the older fox posed carefully.
Judy quickly focused her attention hard. How had she never even asked that? Originally, when it happened to her, she had sort of assumed that the 'getting' thing was just a family tradition for Nick, but over time she understood this was a wider cultural fixture. She had not once considered asking how it became a thing in the first place. The bunny suddenly had so many questions that she had not pondered before that she was sure she should have. How long had that been a thing? When did it start? Why was it important enough for there to be tokens that one could purchase? What were the specific rules? She was in a fox family now, it was important to know these things, wasn't it?
Sam shrugged lightly. "I mean, I guess so. It's how we make us even when someone does something bad to us… but not so bad that they gotta go to jail."
"Not… exactly." Nick sat beside the little vulpine. Seeing him there looking very much like the kit's father squeezed Judy's heart in an alarmingly warm way. He was good with kits when they did school events. She knew that already, but seeing him there helping a little fox kit was pushing her maternal instincts hard, and she was thoroughly aware of that. Her husband spoke carefully in a soft tone, "See… a long time ago, the world was way more hostile. Settling differences and squaring injustices usually meant someone was leaving with some kind of damage. That was just how it was done then. When society stopped tolerating those things, it meant that everyone had to find a better way to cope."
"But no one got hurt, Nick!" expressed the kit in sudden anxiousness.
"I know, and I'm not saying they did, but listen first, then we will talk about it." He was more firm in his instruction there and Sam nodded to imply he would let Nick talk. "I'm not going to pretend that the world has been completely fair with foxes. You are old enough that you know better. And it wasn't right that it was that way… but because of how it was, we had a very different problem once society truly demanded civility among mammals. If foxes got into a fight, chances were… both foxes got in trouble. Be it in school, at work, out in a field someplace, it didn't matter. Violent fox? Problem for everyone. Follow me so far?"
Judy nodded, even though this wasn't addressed at her. It irritated her, but Nick was right. She clearly remembered the discussion over the holiday in Bunnyburrow with Gideon's family. Foxes got in trouble to an unfair degree, even during her childhood. This was not ancient history.
"Yeah, I know," Sam murmured unhappily.
"But… what positive thing are foxes known for, and have been throughout history, Sam?" Nick asked. Judy smiled. He was trying not to let the little kit sink into a funk.
"Archery?" qualified Sam.
"Nope… even a jerk can fire an arrow. Think more … attitude." Nick was calm and patient. That helped Judy more than the kit perhaps.
"We're… We're clever?" suggested the kit. He perked up some. "We're sharp and quick-witted." He sounded more proud there and that lifted the bunny's spirits.
"Right, so… some clever young foxes, who were clever even for foxes, made a rule in their town about a hundred years ago. If someone wronged you, you could prank them, so long as the prank didn't cause permanent harm or hardship," Nick explained.
Sam stood up on the couch, facing Nick beside him. "But my prank didn't! It was funny. It was supposed to be funny, I mean," he explained, wilting as he considered, perhaps, that Sharla was in serious distress.
"I know. Sit, sit." Nick patted the seat. Sam plopped down, frowning. He knew he did the wrong thing, but perhaps did not agree that this was the wrong part of it. Would Nick bring up the other stuff too? Judy actually found herself keenly interested in how her partner handled this kind of family engagement. "So, the reason for deciding that pranks was the way to go was pretty smart, not just silly and funny," her fox explained. "See… you don't prank someone right when they do something wrong, do you?"
"No." answered the kit.
"Why not?" Nick inquired.
"We gotta try to come up with a good prank, I guess. That takes planning." He continued to gaze at his feet.
"Were you angry when Sharla upset you back in New Reynard?" asked Nick.
"I was… I can't even… I hated her for it!" he spat. "Why do other mammals even do that? Why can't foxes even have a hero?" Judy's heart plunged. He… He really thought foxes weren't allowed to have a hero? She immediately remembered how upset Skye had been when Jack suggested he was a villain instead. Sam's reaction really helped her understand how deep-rooted the unhappiness about that really was. It really did seem patently unfair.
"How did you feel when you were getting her?" Nick examined.
"It felt great! It was so much fun!" chimed the smaller vulpine. Judy winced at how painfully cute he was when he was excited.
"Right… but were you still mad?" asked his cousin.
"I… I mean… I dunno." the kit appeared to really thing about that. "Not really. Not as much…" He considered that, little pointy fox nose down again. "Not like I was when it happened."
"See, Sam… the purpose of the getting is not to get even. It's to temper our response," Nick explained carefully. "It lets us really think about what was done for you, and what level of action is really appropriate for it. It's removed the need for an immediate emotional response… especially given that our tempers cool as we realize that the trespass was unintended, right?"
Sam glanced up at Nick, then looked back down and nodded slowly. "I guess so, yeah. I didn't feel anywhere near as mad by then."
"How do you feel about Sharla now?" Nick further inquired.
"I dunno. She's okay I guess. She didn't get mad, I don't think."
"Do you hate her?" queried the larger fox.
"No," Sam answered honestly.
Nick smiled back at the kit. "Exactly, and the purpose is, in part, to stop hate. We get enough of that from mammals who should definitely know better. We don't need to make things worse by hating ourselves. A getting is not about getting even. It's about staying civil and keeping the peace. The first 'getting' happened right there in New Reynard, more than a century ago, and it's been a part of that town, and all who have spread out from there, ever since. It's a proud tradition, not merely fox-mischief. We should treat it with serious respect because it's why that town, of all towns, has both the highest number of foxes and the lowest violent crime rate of any other established town. We are proud of our little corner of the world, and we have to do the right thing to stay proud of it."
"Did I… I mean, I followed the rules though. No permanent harm or hardship." Sam nodded with self-assurance.
"You did risk permanent harm or hardship, though, Sam. Even the risk is unacceptable." Nick crossed his arms sternly.
"How was that risky? We just sang silly songs to a sheep in a safe public area." Judy was trying to follow along as well. It seemed harmless enough.
"You didn't risk Sharla, Sam. You risked yourself. You risked your family and your friends. You lied to your mother, and if something happened… an accident or worse, she'd have had no idea where to even start looking for you." Judy straightened up. There. There it was. He… He really was thinking all this out. Of course he was. He saw this the same way but he had to explain it in a way that made sense to Sam.
"Oh…" The fox sank slightly on the couch again. "I mean… I was okay. I know how to take a train. Mom knew I was coming out to see you, and that's safe. It was just… a little extra travel to Bunnyburrow and back, and I was safe. I had my mom's old flip-phone too."
Nick nodded and continued, "Yeah, and there's a dead zone fifty miles wide between Zootopia and Bunnyburrow going through the hills. You could slip and hit your head, or a rhino could trip and fall on you… It's not about bad people doing bad things, Sam. It's about bad things happening to a good fox that a lot of mammals love." Judy stifled a squeak. Ow.
"I… I'm sorry… I didn't think about that stuff. I wasn't trying to make things hard on anyone." He appeared so crestfallen.
Nick resumed, pulling the little kit into a heart-melting hug. "I know it seems like you have to be a grownup all the time, Sam. You help your mom and you help the diner, and you get paid and you get to do stuff… stuff your classmates don't ever have to do… but you aren't a grownup yet. And you don't get to go back and be a kit later. Ask Judy, I try!" He gave a toothy grin to the bunny as she rolled her eyes, more to keep from crying.
"I don't hate being a grownup, Nick. I know it helps my mom a bunch. Her hours are tough, and I feel like she could have a lot more if I weren't…" Judy winced.
"Don't even think like that, Sam," Nick immediately warned in a deeper tone.
"I don't hate myself or nothin'," Sam said quickly, clarifying. "I just… I know she's tired… and needs help. But I feel like if I can just… make it so she knows she doesn't gotta worry about me, she'll be proud of me for it and…" He faltered a bit, obviously unsure how to convey himself. He seemed frustrated, not sad.
Nick gave the smaller fox another squeeze. "Sam, she is proud of you. The entire town knows it. You don't have to protect her from being a mom. Looking at you, as you are right now, tells me she's a great mom. Even if you think you're doing it for a good reason, dishonesty is a very slippery slope, Sam. I was a little younger than you when I started telling my mom little lies… and I even did it for exactly the same reason."
Judy widened her eyes, stunned a moment about the turn this took. Nick's experience with his own mother and being dishonest was a very deeply personal and serious matter to her husband. Judy had no idea how relevant this discussion with the smaller fox kit would become.
He continued, "Things were not great for me back then, and I didn't want her to worry about me all the time because I thought she'd be unhappy. So… I told her things were great, and I knew she could tell they weren't. I'd get picked on, and I'd hide it. I'd do something wrong and cover it up. It wasn't to hurt her. I thought I was protecting her. I trusted my mom, but I didn't give her that trust back… and I hurt her far, far worse than I ever would have if I'd been honest." Sam frowned and looked back down at his little paws shamefully.
"It wasn't a big lie. I was still coming here," he sniffled.
"And if you had never made it here…? That 'not a big lie' would never have mattered. It's too much risk for something like… getting a sheep for offending your cultural identity, Sam." Judy nodded at Nick's assessment.
"Are you gonna tell my mom?" he asked fearfully.
"No. You are. In the morning. However, I want you to have a chance to really think about why it matters that you do tell her. And the promise you need to make if you expect to ever be treated like a grownup and come visit me and Judy again." Nick got up and stretched, still appearing perfectly calm, but Judy could tell that was tough for him. "For the moment, I am gonna get washed up and we can watch a movie together or something, how does that sound?" Judy nodded at Nick. Yes, that would be good. That had been pretty heavy for a kit. They could reassure him it would be alright.
And then suddenly Judy was in the living room alone with Sam the fox kit. He glanced fearfully up at her. Every other time she'd seen those blue eyes, they were bright with curiosity and confidence. He never looked like that. She considered how worried he must have been, and might still be, since he'd been caught.
"We really do care about you, Sam. We don't want anything bad to happen to you, and it can happen so fast!" Judy wanted to drive the point home that it wasn't just 'kick around the fox kit hour'.
"I guess this… 'getting' stuff probably seems pretty dumb to a bunny," he offered. Judy got up and moved over to the shelf that held pictures of both her and Nick at their respective police academy graduations. She picked up a little velvet pouch from there and took it back to Sam, sitting close beside him. He peered back at her with obvious worry.
"No, I don't think it's silly. See, I've been gotten before, and I've gotten Nick too." She held up the coin from inside the pouch. Sam immediately brightened up. He held the heavy coin in his paws. Were they all the same, or were there deluxe coins? He seemed pretty impressed.
"How did you get Nick?" whispered the kit scandalously.
"I… I uh…" She immediately regretted bringing that up. "Well, I ate part of a sandwich, and made his friend think he did it, and she made him buy her another one."
Sam stared at Judy blankly.
"It's more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it," explained the bunny with a hopeful grin. Let it go, little fox. Don't ask more questions, innocent and adorable kit.
"Mine was way better, I think. But I guess if you grow up around it…" he offered.
"Absolutely," Judy agreed, stowing her coin and putting it away.
"Are you mad at me?" he pressed sadly as she came back. She sat back down beside him, heart aching from such a question.
"I'm worried about you, Sam, but I'm not mad at you. You really didn't think about what could happen, and that was careless… but I don't think you were intentionally doing anything you knew would hurt anyone. That would make me mad. Can you learn from this? Can you think about your mom and your friends and family before trying anything that might be dangerous?" Sam nodded emphatically.
"Yeah. I promise. And… I'm sorry. For… you know… crashin' in on your guys like this. I know you didn't ask for it. Nick said it was okay for me to visit any time I wanted, and I was sure he wouldn't mind. I should have just taken the train back home. I wanted to see you two again though. Nick's a bunch of fun and you're really neat."
"Thank you, Sam. Nick and I think you're pretty neat too. And you are welcome to visit us. We like seeing you, but we need a little warning first, as we might be involved in a really big case and that would make it so we were hardly at home to enjoy spending any time with you at all. As it is, you might be going to spend some time with Aunt Vivienne tomorrow. We're involved in a case right now."
"Wow! What kind of case?" He was immediately sitting up and attentive.
"We can't discuss active cases, Sam," explained Judy. "It involves lies and unlicensed and unsafe food production."
"Huh… That sounds… really boring." His ears went back. It was an accurate statement. Not all police work was chases and life-threatening misadventure.
"It can be," Judy assured him. "Think about having to do police homework!" Judy pointed at the file sitting on the counter in the dining room.
"You mean it doesn't stop even when I'm done with school?!" the little kit gasped.
"Nope! Not always!" Judy laughed at his expression. He then slumped and munched on more of his cheese cubes. Judy turned on the television and let the cartoon resume as she went to the back bedroom and picked up her phone. It would be good to at least give Vivienne some ample warning if she were going to possibly be looking after Sam in the morning. There was a cozy little office space above the bakery she could host him in since a weasel would not be sleeping in it right then, and given how the kit liked to help at the diner, she might even be able to make some use of him.
The phone rang a few times, and a giggling Vivienne finally picked up. "Hi Judy!" she chimed.
"Sounds like you're having fun!" the doe replied, ears high.
"Timothy's here givin' Rudy and Duke a hard time. He's such a cub." The bunny perked up at that and held the phone closer to her head. Wolfard hanging out at the bakery wasn't a surprise, he got along well with the lady fox, but the other part of that was relevant to the bunny's interests.
"Can I talk with Rudy a sec?" she asked hastily. Her conversation about the kit could wait a moment.
"Sure, dear, one moment," Viv replied kindly.
A few seconds later, a raspy feline voice responded. "Hey bunny-cop! Flatten any 'yotes recently?" He cackled in his usual good-humored fashion.
"Actually, the 'yote is what I wanted to talk to you about," she replied.
"Uh-oh…" came the bobcat's reply.
"Oh, he's not in trouble, but he might be able to help with some information for a case that Nick and I are working," Judy explained.
"Oh… well, I ain't exactly sure where he's hangin' out now. He was helping with deliveries for a bit, but he skipped town from what I can tell. I don't know where he's at. He didn't even say g'bye." The cat sounded concerned. They were work associates, the bunny understood, but they might have been friends before that, she wasn't sure. He seemed to care that he wasn't told goodbye.
"If he didn't say anything, what makes you think he skipped town?" asked the bunny.
"He was roomin' with another mutual friend, and they came home and a bunch of his stuff was gone, and the coyote was out too. That's why I figure you might have whomped him again, honestly."
"Do you know if he was involved in anything that might have made him want to leave?" Judy investigated.
"Nothin' disreputable or anything, no," answered the feline with a tone of uncertainty. "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't'a told me if he was though. I'm full time at the bakery now, and I told him I didn't want in on the take for anything that might cast a shadow on Missus W's rep." Judy was immediately very proud of Rudy. While she'd never arrested him herself, she was aware that he wasn't on the best of terms with the law up until he started helping out at the bakery. That was two mammals that Vivienne helped take away from a future jail cell, it would seem.
"Well, I am really glad to hear that. And I'm happy to hear you are on full time! Are you enjoying the work?" she inquired, so as to make the conversation lighter.
"Am I ever! It means Duke can help out more in the kitchen, since he's not… you know… as personable. I'm more of a talker and that's better for the front, right?" he responded.
"If you find anything out about Mike, would you have Mom message me so we can check up on him? We need the information, but given his sudden departure, I'm kind of worried, actually," Judy instructed in a serious tone.
"Will do. Thanks, Officer Hopps," Rudy stated genuinely. "… and I ain't ever gonna get used to a bunny calling a fox 'Mom'," he laughed.
"Oh, you'll eventually get used to it," promised the doe. "Can I talk to Vivienne again real quick?" she asked.
"Sure! Here you go," he answered quickly.
"Hey, Judy! Did you get what you needed from my customer-service cat?" She obviously wanted to make it clear that he was telling the truth about that.
"What I could, yes," Judy responded, "But… I may need your help with something…"
"Sure, sweetie, anything that I can do," the vixen affirmed.
"So… Nick and I might actually need you to kit-sit for us…" Judy was cut off by a short, shrill, excited fox-scream. The bunny gasped and clarified quickly, "No-no-no! I mean, Sam! Sam showed up today unexpectedly…"
"Oh… Oh good heavens Judy," Viv practically panted, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to squeak your ear out, but don't ever lead into a statement with that!" the vixen laughed. "Why's Sam there?"
"He apparently went all the way to Bunnyburrow by himself for a getting," Judy explained.
"Wait, really? All the way there? Who'd he even get?" she asked.
"Sharla," Judy replied.
"Your fox-loathing mitten-maven?"
Judy stifled a laugh at the wording. "The very same, yes."
"How'd he get her?" inquired Vivienne.
"You can ask him all about it yourself if you don't mind taking him until about 1 tomorrow," explained Judy.
"I'd be happy to. He can work off his transgressions here with me," she promised. "He's actually helpful to have around."
"Thank you. We don't mind having him, but we have a case we're working on," the bunny expressed quietly.
"Nothing terribly dangerous, I hope," stated the fox earnestly. Judy heard the shower cut off in the bathroom. Nick was about done cleaning up. He'd set up something for them to watch together.
"No, not this time. Just an investigation. We're doing some detective work," explained Judy.
"Stil, please be careful. Both of you," Viv sighed.
"We will, I promise," Judy insisted. Vivienne had plenty of cause to worry about the pair. She was there for an attempt on their lives by a couple of hire hit-sheep.
"Thank you, Duke, put that down, you're gonna get icing on his uniform!" laughed Vivienne, "Talk to you in the morning, Judy!" She disconnected to deal with the silliness in her own life. The bunny sighed softly, smiling as she put her phone down. Vivienne was happy. It always made her feel better to talk to her fox mom.
For tonight, however, she looked forward to a quiet evening of kit's movies with two of her other favorite foxes.