Hark, How the Bells

• Writer - Chris Claremont
• Penciler - Salvador Larroca
• Inker - Danny Miki
• Lettering - Virtual Calligraphy
• Lettering - Chris Eliopoulos
• Colorist - Rob Ro
• Ass't Editor - Stephannie Moore
• Ass't Editor - Sean Ryan
• Editor - Mike Marts
• Editor in Chief - Joe Quesada

Summary

  X-23 claws at the door of an overturned car. The X-Men have raced to a traffic accident near the mansion, arriving before the police. X-23 freaks the Millers while freeing them; one of the kids hits her, and Logan has to pull her back: "Move with the right purpose, before you make things worse." Bobby ices over a damaged propane tanker, Rachel lifts wreckage, saying TK is a matter of mind and will, so anything is possible. Lorna, calling her a show-off, magnetically disassembles a car to free the kids in the backseat. Elixir heals a victim, but he doesn't have enough energy for everyone, so Kurt teleports one of the adults to a hospital, while Rachel flies off with another, and Bobby takes the kids on an ice sled.

  Later at the Institute, Logan pulls rank and tells Kitty and Rachel to take X-23 as roommate. They have space, and she needs socialization and good role models whom she can't hurt. The girls are reluctant, and when Kitty introduces herself, X-23 lunges. Kitty phases and lets her pass through, but both are made ill by it. Kitty only feels that way phasing through adamantium, so X-23 must have had it bonded to her skeleton, even though she's just a kid.

  The Grindstone coffee house in Salem Center: Surge is a waitress, Elixir a customer, and Hellion a jerk, taunting Elixir about being hero of the week and trying to steal his sunglasses. Kurt ports in, announces a mission from God, and ports with Hellion to a van with some of the X-Men and students. The van is labeled "Mutantes San Frontieres," or "Mutants without Borders" (Hank's idea, cf. X-Men: The End 3) They're going to the Lambda Hospice; Kurt says saving the world isn't always about fighting super-villains. Warren and Paige are already there; they try to do this every year, and they volunteer to ladle soup.

  The Grindstone: Kitty, Rachel and X-23 have spent the day shopping, and now they need coffee and food. Rachel never had much use for Christmas, not having a lot to celebrate; Remy and Bobby enter, saying that's a shame, and they're going to change all that. Bobby is acting as Remy's "seeing-eye superhero," and Remy jokes that they're looking for babes. Surge reminds Bobby of the two-minute rule: he has to leave before he makes it even colder inside. Elixir returns the sunglasses to Remy; he left them at they last healing session, which unfortunately couldn't heal Remy's blindness. Bobby says the X-Men off-duty are a bunch of stiffs, and they ask who's up for fun. The kids all put on their cyber-shades.

  An alarm goes off at the mansion, and the kids run out and slip on the iced-over courtyard. (Note: the Phoenix memorial is decorated with lights and a star, like a Christmas tree.) Emma orders everyone to calm down; it must be a prank, "of extremely dubious humor and absolutely guaranteed retribution." A snowball hits her in the face; it's Bobby, in a snow fort with Remy and X-23, daring them to a fight. Scott blasts at them, but Bobby deflects it away, calling now powers, so Scott follows up with a snowball, and joyous melee ensues.

  Santa descends from the sky: it's Rachel and Kitty, dressed as elves, and Hank dressed as Santa. He gives the first presents to the headmasters: red, rubber clown noses, which Scott takes with humor but not Emma. Hank assures the students nobody will go empty-handed, and out back Sam has got Lila to come with her band. Ororo adjusts the air temperature and explains to Wind Dancer that it's all about control. Kitty tends bar, with Lockheed guarding the hard stuff. Magma brings up magma for Remy to cook over. Elixir talks on a cell phone, saying his part is done.

  Hellion cuts the food line, so Warren swoops down and carries him off. Hellion says he isn't impressed, and his teammate Icarus has better moves. Warren drops him, letting Sam catch him; he says he used to lead the New Mutants and loves to kick Hellion butt.

  Bobby hangs mistletoe in a tree while trying to talk X-23 out of it and down to the party. Lorna finds him and gives him a kiss, then runs off. Remy walks through the snow with a cane; Elixir told him Rogue was waiting for him. They kiss, and then she apologizes, saying she's not Rogue, she's Sage. He realizes she's jump-started him, and he can see again.

  Rachel gives Emma and Scott their presents: white silk underpants with "X-Men" written across the seat; Scott is taken aback, but Emma likes them. They give Rachel her present: her grandparents, John and Elaine Grey, who hug her.

  Emma opens the door for a policeman; the Millers, whom they rescued from the crash, want to thank them. Although they're afraid of mutants, they shake hands, and X-23 invites them to join the party. They hesitate, but Danny apologizes for hitting X-23, and they enter.

  Xavier and Magneto watch, in astral form. Magneto says he should join his students, since all this is his legacy, but he says there are too many questions he's not ready to answer. He wants to just savor this season of joy, and Jubilee's fireworks light up the sky.