New York City.

The woman called Jean Grey lays asleep in her apartment building.

She begins to toss and turn in her bed, her eyes flickering.

She is dreaming, dreaming that same dream now for the fifth time in as many nights this week.

But this time, it has changed. She sees images of the strange world,

the strange people, the bird of fire forming from the flames. The firebird comes closer

and speaks different words from its blazing beak. Jean, Jean, do not be afraid.

Soon, very soon, we will finally be together.

Jean wakes with a start, a sharp gasp, breathing heavily. She then stops herself and turns, looking over

at her clock and seeing the time of 3am. She lowers herself slowly back into the bed. The

dreams will just have to wait. For tomorrow is a busy day, and she needs her rest.

A day of shopping followed by a night on the town with the X-Men, her friends new and old,

and the man she loves.

It is the time of year for it, after all.

The time to give and receive, the time to be with family, the time of Christmas.

In a New York State prison, a door opens, and the man known as Larry Trask enters his side of the visitor's area.

The guard nods to a suited man sitting at the other side of the glass.

Trask sighs and makes his way over, sits and picks up the receiver, the other man doing the same.

Stephen Lang, thought you'd be in here with me by now.

Now, now, Trask, we did everything we could.

But the president was, well, he isn't thinking straight.

Don't worry about it.

...