The Last Month of the Year
CJ/Danny, Josh/Donna, Sam/OFC, Ginger/OMC, Bonnie/OMC, Carol/OMC, Nancy, Ellie/Vic
PG—references to sexual activity between married/engaged couples
Spoilers through end of series
Not mine, never were, never will be, but they consume my soul
Feedback and criticism always welcomed
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December 8, 2009 Santa Monica, CA
Danny came into the bedroom that served as CJ's home office (when they finally had no need of a nursery, that room would become her permanent one). She and Nancy were working, assembly line fashion, on "Road to a Better World"'s "SolsticeChrisKwanzUkah"cards, taking the self-stick labels from the sheets and applying them to the already stuffed envelopes.
"Shouldn't the president and the soon-to-be assistant vice-president be handing off that task to underlings? You gonna get those out in time for Chanukah?" he asked. "It starts this weekend."
"From your lips to God's ear!" Nancy exclaimed. "As to why we are doing it, the work-study kids are so bogged down with finals, we took pity on them this week. We're also cheating and giving them the hours on their time sheets even though they aren't working. Don't tell the financial aid folks."
"Speaking of finals, how're you doing with your take-home exams?" CJ asked her husband about the papers he was writing for the classes he was taking at USC and the Annenberg School.
"I think I'm done. In fact, I'm going to set them aside for the rest of the day, proof them tomorrow after class and then email them to the professors tomorrow afternoon. After that, I just have to grade the two exams I'm giving on Monday and Tuesday and then I'm free for the next three weeks, except for the columns and Fitz' book. Not that I mind, but why are you guys working here?"
"They're fumigating the offices," Nancy explained. "Oh, by the way, Bonnie called, said she had the wine for Saturday."
CJ and Danny, Bonnie and Jean-Luc, Josh and Donna, Ginger and Rick, and Carol and her fiancé David were all going to Sacramento for Sam's first Christmas dinner and ball and would be staying at the Embassy Suites. CJ and Bonnie were planning to have snacks Saturday afternoon for the Washingtonians.
"Are you sure you won't change your mind and come? We could put you and Jesse in the front of our suite," CJ volunteered.
"Jesse and I aren't at that point yet," the blonde blushed. Danny had finally introduced her to Frank Muñoz' nephew and they had been dating for about two months now. "And even if we were, my father would have a hissy if we stayed together publicly."
"Well, I'm sure that Bonnie and Jean-Luc would let him use their living room," Danny opined.
"I'm not ready for him to 'meet the family', as it were," Nancy laughed. "Let's make sure he's hooked on me before we expose him to my pseudo-relatives. He was okay with meeting my folks and my brothers, I mean, we're the same subculture, and he told me how he put his sisters' guys through the same ordeal. But I don't think he's ready for Sam or Josh, let alone the two of them together!"
"Well, I'm going to take Paddy and go for a walk on the beach," Danny said. "Shall I pick up some sandwiches on the way back?"
"Turkey club, light on the mayo," CJ said.
"Crabmeat salad in a pita or wrap, if they have it, same as CJ if they don't," Nancy added.
December 12, 2009 Sacramento CA
"CJ!"
Carol entered the Concannon's room in the Embassy Suites and hugged her former boss. "I was so worried! I prayed so hard!" she whispered into CJ's ear. Then, bending back to look up into her face, "everything is okay? You aren't just putting on a front?"
"I'm fine, Carol," CJ reassured the brunette. "I need to be checked a bit more frequently, and I take even less for granted, but no problems, no issues." She looked up at the man standing behind her former assistant. "Hi. I guess you're David, unless Carol has something she needs to tell me."
Carol introduced her fiancé. "I guess we're the first ones to come down?" Carol and David, along with Josh and Donna, had flown in with Ginger and Rick on their family jet.
"Bonnie and Jean-Luc should be here any minute. Their room is two doors down from us. Danny and I drove up yesterday afternoon but they didn't get in until midnight and barely made breakfast, so they decided to nap a bit."
"The six of us arrived about 20 minutes ago. I think Ginger and Rick are between you and Bonnie. We're across the hall and Josh and Donna are next to us. Where's Danny?"
The flushing sound indicated the whereabouts of CJ's husband, but before he could come into the living room of the suite, they heard Josh's voice at the entrance.
"Let the games begin!" The two chiefs of staff entered the room, with Bonnie and Jean-Luc not far behind.
Carol introduced her fiancé to Danny, who reminded the man that as Carol's surrogate big brother, "they needed to have a little talk."
"I'm afraid President Santos beat you to it, Danny," David laughed.
"Nope, not gonna let him usurp my duties," Danny replied as the microwave dinged and CJ announced that the "hot food" was ready. "But food and drink first." He indicated the spread that he and CJ brought with them from Santa Monica plus the wine that Bonnie and Jean-Luc contributed.
They began to catch up with each other for the next five minutes, when Rick and Ginger showed up.
"Hey, Ginger, you missed a button," Josh helpfully announced as she blushed to match her hair. "You two need to get a room."
"We did," Rick said. "We're married and the room is paid for. We're used to a bit more privacy on the jet than we had this morning."
"Rick, stop it!" Her face turned even redder.
CJ pulled Donna aside. "So how did the thing between Margaret and Paul go? Did she do the tour? Has there been anything between the two of them?"
"CJ, I think you struck out on that pairing. When I asked her about it, she said that he and the twins were very polite, very interested in the tour and very appreciative of it, but she didn't seem to show any interest in him. Then later when I called to apologize for not being there to give the tour myself, and asked leading questions to see if he had any interest in her, I got absolutely zip as far as vibes go. Of course, it didn't help that Hoynes was there with Margaret that day. Anyway, when Josh and I apologized to Margaret for leaving her in charge this weekend instead of her being able to come out for Sam's big thing, she said she thought that she got the better deal out of it and even my Josh could see the glow in her eyes when she said it."
"Better deal?"
"Josh and I will be 'on duty' over Christmas and Margaret will be going to Texas to spend time with John. She's taking her son and she's staying in a hotel, not at the ranch, but I'd say that sooner or later, he'll manage to get her into his bed."
"And Bruno is okay with the boy going to Texas over Christmas?"
"Bruno's parents are taking him to Florida for the entire month of February, he'll see him then. CJ, I think something may be wrong with Bruno; he looks terrible, haggard, tired all the time. He was supposed to have the child for Thanksgiving, but at the last minute, he asked Margaret if she could keep him."
"Oh, God!" CJ had always liked Bruno, even when she thought the man was stepping on Leo's toes. "Should I call?"
"I wouldn't; I think whatever it is, he wants to keep it to himself."
"Okay for now. So, exactly how much of an item are Margaret and Hoynes?"
"Right now, they both come to official government functions by themselves, no escorts, and they are circumspect with regard to numbers of dances and such. However, I'm betting that soon, they'll insist that they be allowed to arrive together and leave together. For what it's worth, Carol has accepted him and she seems to be as willing to help him as she was Danny."
"Well, if he has Carol on his side, then the game is as good as won."
"Yeah."
"So," CJ said, half to herself, "how to I go about getting Paul and Nancy McNally together? The foundation will be doing something for one of the other projects in DC, but that's not until June. Still, that might be the neatest way, invite him as our guest and also invite her as our guest, without any indication of escorting. Wait! Donna, can you get Josh or Margaret to put him on the list for the next Prayer Breakfast? There's one in late February, isn't there?"
"CJ, are you sure?"
"Donna, it's not like I'm having you invite them to dinner and pair them off!"
"Okay. By the way, did you know that he's taken over the church that David and Carol attend? The old minister had a stroke and will be in rehab for at least a year. According to her, everyone thinks Paul is fantastic. He's revitalized the congregation. He'll be officiating at the wedding in May."
They joined the rest of the group.
"I can't wait to see Sam's place tonight," Carol was saying.
"Well, Sam and Morgan don't live there," Danny slipped into Bartlet mode. "No one has lived in the Mansion since Reagan. It's actually part of the State Parks Department. Although it's used for functions like this, it's open to the public for tours and stuff."
"So where is the official residence?"
"There is none, not really," Danny answered. "They built a new one back in the late 1960's but Jerry Brown - "
"Governor Moonbeam," CJ interjected.
" – refused to live there," Danny finished, trying to give his wife a stern look but failing miserably. "Then the state sold it and since then, the governors have lived in rented housing or hotel suites."
"Sam and Morgan are renting a place on the outskirts of the city," Bonnie chimed in. "But for tonight, they have the Presidential Suite upstairs. We'll be going there after the ball, assuming we can still stand. There are a lot of folks staying here tonight, there'll be buses to take us over the Mansion and back, it's a little over a mile away."
They socialized, gossiped, and ate for a while and then agreed to meet in the lobby at 7:30 for the ride over to the dinner and ball. The more hardy among them might be in the lobby for the Happy Hour that was the trademark of the hotel chain.
At 7:30, the group, minus Donna and CJ, was waiting in the lobby with other guests for the Governor's Ball.
"Donna's on the phone with Margaret," Josh volunteered. "She's called just about every hour on the hour about Noah. "Is CJ calling about Paddy?"
"He's with Frank, Diana, and Maggie, she knows he's as okay with them as he is with us. We checked about two hours ago, first time since this morning," Danny answered. "No, Glen Walken was calling from Australia. He's pursuing some deep pockets down under and with the ball here and the time difference, this was the best time to talk. Ah, here they come." His eyes lit up at the sight of his wife in the gray silk gown he had long wished to see on her again, accented by the light blue-violet jewelry from almost two years ago. Her hair was pinned up with the combs, and he looked forward to taking it down later tonight.
Josh recognized the dress. "See, Donna, CJ's wearing something that's 10 years old, she didn't have to buy a new dress for this shindig."
"Well, CJ did better at taking off the pounds than I did, not that I want everyone knowing that, Joshua," the blonde grimaced at her husband.
"I think you look good, Donna, so what if now you're a 4 instead of a 2," Ginger reassured her.
"Actually, it's just the gowns that don't fit. My other clothes are fine."
"But still," Josh couldn't let the issue drop. "If we're going to buy this place on the river, we need to economize somewhere, and if CJ can wear a 10 year-old dress - "
"I'm wearing this because it's Danny's favorite, Josh," CJ told him. "Can you even remember anything Donna had from five years ago, let alone ten?"
"Well, there was the blue dress from the second inauguration."
"That was returned two days later, tags still attached," Donna said. "I just started being able to afford stuff a few years ago."
"Well, I think you all look magnifique," Jean-Luc decided that enough was enough. "Shall we take the bus to the ball? I, for one, am starved."
When they arrived at the old mansion, they found that they were all seated at the same table, with one other couple.
"We have to be careful not to bore them to tears," CJ said.
They reached the table to find Ellie and Vic Faison.
"We didn't know you would be here!" Donna greeted the couple.
"It was last minute; we're filling in for the president of the university (she meant Stanford)."
"Are you at Embassy Suites? We're all on the third floor."
"We're on the fifth."
Sam and Morgan stopped by briefly during the main course. They had been making the rounds of the room for the better part of the last hour. "Happy Chanukah, Josh!" Sam bear-hugged his friend.
"Will you get to eat anything?" Bonnie asked.
"We ate something before," Sam laughed. "If we don't see you on the dance floor, we'll see you at the hotel. It'll just be us, no outsiders."
They enjoyed the rest of dinner and the dancing after the meal, switching partners among themselves.
Shortly after midnight, they were back at the hotel, gathered in the presidential suite, shoes kicked off, pantyhose removed, ties undone, tux jackets tossed aside with cuff links safely tucked away in pockets.
"Let's drink a toast to Governor Spanky!" CJ walked around the group with a bottle of champagne, filling everyone's glasses.
"None for me, thanks."
"Hey, everyone! Morgan refused champagne! Something you need to tell us, Samuel?"
"It's only two months, we were planning on keeping it to ourselves for another month or so, but, yes, next summer, please God - " Sam kissed the brunette at his side and smiled at his friends.
There were kisses, hugs, and high fives of congratulations all around.
"So, Josh, you guys are really going to buy some country house in Virginia?" Sam changed the subject. He knew that Morgan was apprehensive about discussing the pregnancy after having lost a baby in July. The doctors said there was nothing to indicate that it was anything more than a bad twist of fate and there was no reason she couldn't carry this one to term, but Sam knew she was more than a little scared, and, to tell the truth, so was he.
"Yep. In two months, give or take, the Lymans will be landed gentry." He passed around a set of pictures. "I'll have my wife growing vegetables and keeping chickens for eggs, skimming the river for shellfish, spinning wool from the sheep to make my shirts, - ".
"You have another wife I don't know about, Joshua?" Donna asked. "Tell her she isn't carrying her load as far as housework goes; or in the bedroom, for that matter."
"Donna!" Carol exclaimed.
"Think about it. If we were brought up to expect it, if it was in our DNA, how much easier it would be if we only had to deal with 50 percent of what they" she pointed to the men in the room "require to survive. Think of how much more we could get done in the workplace, or, for that matter, how much more time we'd have for reading, watching TV, or sleeping."
"Well, maybe a youngster like Josh can handle it," Danny said. He squeezed the waist of the woman sitting on his lap. "I've got enough on my plate right now."
"Damn straight," CJ said. "I'm quite a plateful and proud of the fact." She kissed her husband's forehead.
"Hey, gang, we've got some neophytes-to-be in our midst. Let's not give Carol and David any reason to think they should call off the wedding." Rick played with the feet that Ginger had draped over his lap.
"They can't call off the wedding," CJ said. "Hank already made my dress."
"And I shelled out for the jewelry," Danny added. Then, realizing he had divulged something he had planned to keep secret until February, whispered "Oops!"
"Moi aussi, but my wife is worth it," Jean-Luc added. "David, Carol, do not listen to these cynics. Married life is fantastic, n'est ce pas, ma belle?" He kissed Bonnie's hand. She in turn played with the man's hair and said "bien entendu".
"I can see why Nancy didn't want to expose her guy to all of us," Ginger laughed.
"Well, I for one think we're all a good example of married life," Ellie said.
"At least it's us here and not Liz," Vic laughed.
"How's she doing?" Donna asked.
"I think she's relieved, in the end. The final straw was when Gus told Doug to stop making his mother cry. She realized that staying with him just for the kids was an empty goal. Now, we just heard yesterday that Doug was seeking an annulment. Dad thinks it's for the best; and if she finds someone else, he can perform the ceremony."
"Well, if she'd like a job, Mrs. Santos and I would love to have her on her staff. We could use someone with a pulse on local Democratic politics. We'll be rolling out 'Village People' at the end of January at CJ and Danny's, but we'd love to have involvement in the east as well."
"By the way, Donna, will the Dieliczko's need any special handling, special clearance? They won't be naturalized until Flag Day."
"We're on top of that; there will be no problems."
Morgan kissed her husband, told the rest of them to stay as long as they wanted, and slipped into the bedroom of the suite.
The conversation moved on to other subjects.
Zoey and Charlie would be married on Independence Day weekend. Rick and Ginger would like to have everyone at the Cape May house the next weekend, and if anyone wanted to come earlier (pointed looks at the Californians) and/or stay later, they would be more than welcome.
Ginger mentioned that Andy spent a couple of weekends with the twins in New York with Toby and Ginger had her fingers crossed, but Donna didn't think that anything formal would come of it.
Kate Harper had flown out to Washington to visit with Will, but she was also seeing one of the Spanish military attachés.
Josh noticed that CJ kept putting back the strands of hair that fell off her head and asked her why she bothered to fix her hair, why didn't she just take out all the combs and let it hang down. CJ and Danny just smiled at each other and Donna whispered something in Josh's ear. When Josh asked Donna why she didn't wear her hair on top of her head, Donna said she didn't have any jeweled combs.
One of Matt Skinner's partner's kids got his girlfriend pregnant and Mary Marsh put her foot in her mouth big time when she criticized the men for supporting the young couple in their decision to have the baby and put it in foster care until they decided between adoption and raising it themselves.
Carol fell asleep on David's shoulder about 2:00 and everyone decided to call it a night. Because of the ball, the hotel would be extending the breakfast hours until noon and they decided to meet at 10:30 for the meal.
Later that morning, they sat at three tables in the breakfast area, passing plates back and forth.
"It's been short but sweet, guys," Sam said. "Thanks so much for coming. Morgan sends her apologies. The morning sickness was particularly bad today. I guess we'll see all of you for the wedding. Much happiness again." He kissed Carol on the cheek.
"Tell her that no apologies are necessary," Ellie said, with Donna and CJ nodding in agreement. "Now go back to your wife." And after hugs and handshakes, the governor of California did as he was told.
"Well, Bonnie and I will be back for the shower at the end of March," CJ said.
"I'm sitting on dissertation defense that weekend," Ellie told Carol, "but we will be there to see you turned into an honest woman come May."
Danny held out his hand to CJ. "We've got the longest drive, probably the longest trip. We'd best get started."
With that, everyone else decided to be on their way.
December 16, 2009 Santa Monica CA
"Danny?" CJ walked in from the garage, calling out for her husband.
"In the den," came the reply.
She walked into the room where he was grading exams, picked up the stack of Christmas cards that had apparently come in today's mail, and kissed the top of his head.
"This one from Mark is nice," she said.
"Yeah."
"Danny! You didn't tell me he's getting married!"
"Two A minuses."
"What?"
"My grades. They were posted today. Two A minuses."
"Danny, that's great!"
"I was hoping for full A's."
"But for being out of the study track for so long, I think it's great."
"Yeah, but - ".
"What were you always telling me? We'll both get good at new things? You'll get good at this; it might take a bit of time. Look how long it took me to learn to cook."
"CJ, you could always cook."
"I could follow a recipe, but it wasn't until that first September that I got the hang of the timing, so that the meat and the veggies were done at the same time, that I didn't serve a white meat like chicken with cauliflower and potatoes, no color on the plate. And remember the first time I made enchiladas?"
He laughed. She had mixed the sauce, grated the cheese, and had softened the tortillas according to the directions; then she realized that she should have cooked the ground beef at the beginning.
"Well, next semester, one of the classes I'm taking at Annenberg, is essentially what I'm teaching at West LA Community, Newspaper Publishing Operations, so I'd better fully ace that one."
She bent down to kiss his mouth and he pulled her into his lap.
"I guess I won't get a nap in before the Muñoz posada starts."
"Are you complaining? I can stop."
"No, sir, and don't you dare."
Her hand was under his sweatshirt and his was reaching up under her skirt when the heard the cry come over the baby monitor.
"All I want for Christmas is some better timing," she sang as she broke away and left the room. "Mama's coming!" she cried out.
December 20, 2009
The parish Christmas party was going full throttle. The little kids' presents had been distributed and now they were getting ready to take the gifts under the Giving Tree to the homeless shelters for which the items had been collected.
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" the voice sounded behind CJ.
"Santa!"
"Have you been a good girl?"
"I've been bad, very bad."
"Even better."
"Look! Miss CJ is kissing Santa Claus! I'm telling Mr. Danny when he gets here!"
December 24, 2009
"Danny, it's 10:55, the pre-Mass carols will start in 20 minutes!"
He came into the family room. "I'm ready; do I look okay?"
He was reading tonight. She fiddled a bit with his tie, then picked up Paddy in the cradle carrier and his attendant bag of accessories.
They settled themselves into the pew and Danny went to the sacristy to check in, find out if there were any last minute instructions. The Muñoz children were seated two rows in front of her; she waved at Diana in the choir. They had already seen Frank doing greeter/usher duty when they came in.
The church was glowing with candlelight. The dark blue-purple (and one rose) candles of the advent wreath had been replaced with white ones
Danny returned but didn't sit down. "Deacon Bob is sick; I'll be in the procession."
The choir began singing the songs that had not been heard in the building since last January. "What Child is This?" (the original version); "Un Flambeau, Jeanette, Isabella"; "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing"; "Silent Night" in English, Spanish, and German; "The First Noel".
Another family came to the pew; she stood to let them into it. "My husband is reading," she explained why she didn't slide to the center. She didn't recognize them; "C and E's", she thought to herself, then remembered the many years when she, at best, went to church only on Christmas and Easter, and decided she was too judgmental.
The husband and wife were whispering to themselves. "Excuse me," the woman said. "Aren't you CJ Cregg?"
"Yes, I am." She used Danny's name but didn't make a federal case out of it when someone called her by the name she held until she had married him.
"And you're married now, with a baby?" Her rings were flashing as they caught the candlelight.
"Yes, he's almost seven months."
"Well, I'm glad for you. What does your husband do?"
"He writes and he teaches."
The song leader called for attention and led everyone in "Adeste Fideles" as Mass began.
Danny joined her in the pew after the entrance procession until it was time for him to read. Turning on the little book light, he began "A reading from the book of Isaiah".
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light - ".
He joined her when he finished. They sat through the psalm (96) and the reading from Titus. Then as all the lights were turned on, the choir led them in the Celtic Alleluia and the nativity narration from Luke was proclaimed.
After Mass, the congregation sang "Joy to the World" for the recessional. One of the little girls in the family next to them in the pew looked up. "Daddy, that was fun! Can we come back again?"
"It's not always like this, sweetie."
"But it is nice," Danny interjected. He held out his hand to the man. "I'm Danny Concannon; I'm on the parish council. We'd loved to have you come back. Father Luke and Father Niko are great guys. This is my wife, CJ. I'd tell you what that stands for, but then I'd have to kill you," he cracked the stale joke. "Anyway, this is a vibrant parish, with lots of activities for the whole family. Think about it."
When they got home, she put Paddy to bed. When she came into the family room, he had turned on the tree and had two glasses of warm spiced cider laced with brandy at the ready and handed her one.
"It's so calm, so peaceful," he said.
"Next year, definitely the year after next, it won't be," she said. "We'll be running around, digging out packages from their hiding places; you'll be trying to put together a tricycle or a wagon - "
"Maybe someday a doll house," he whispered.
"Maybe," she replied.
He took the glass from her, set them on the coffee table, and then pulled her to the floor.
"I hope we'll always find time for this," he said, bringing his mouth to hers.
December 25, 2009
"Hey, Paddy, look at these! They're for playing with the sand on the beach!"
"And we can have fun with these in the tub or the swimming pool!"
"More clothes! Why do I get so many clothes?" Danny faked a little boy's voice.
"Because you outgrow them, kid. Look, Aunt Erin sent stuff you'll probably fit into in April."
"Here's a mobile with lots and lots of fishies from your godmother Hogan."
"He's having more fun with the paper than with the toys," CJ laughed.
"I remember the first year we had Pistol, Erin wrapped up his presents and he just sniffed at everything."
"She wrapped the dog's presents? Did she think he was going to snoop?"
"What can I say? Hey, kid, here's a blue mustang just like Mama's, the one I rather you not be driven in just yet."
"And look at all these blocks; your Daddy can build the dungeon he wants to keep us in."
"Well, they're from Grandpa Jed, and he knows a thing or two about that."
"Is Paddy tired? That's okay, you just go to sleep. Somewhere in all this loot are a few things Santa left for Mama and Daddy; we'll open them now."
"Were you a good girl or a bad girl?"
"I'm so bad, I'm good."
"Well, this one is for the good girl," he handed her a box from Tiffany's, "and this is for the bad girl". The second box was from Victoria's Secret.
"And this is for a wonderful man, but it's also for me. Open it," she said when he raised a questioning eyebrow.
He opened the box to find a 22 carat gold mizpah pendant set. He took the piece with the narrower, more delicate chain and put it about her neck. She took the piece with the heavier chain and put it on his neck.
Then she opened her box from Tiffany's to find gray pearl earrings, necklace, and bracelet set in platinum.
She gave him a set of cufflinks photo-engraved with Paddy's picture.
They drank coffee, ate cranberry orange walnut bread, opened their other presents, called family and friends. Later that day, they ate Christmas dinner with Hank and Steve.
That night, after putting the garment in the Victoria's Secret box to good use, they lay in each other's arms.
"Paddy's first Christmas," CJ sighed.
"Our first Christmas as parents," Danny yawned. "God rest us, merry gentlepersons."
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"Last Month of the Year" -- Vera Hall, Alan Lomax
Sung by The Kingston Trio
Tell me when was Jesus born
Last month of the year
Tell me when was Jesus born
Last month of the year
Tell me when was Jesus born
Last month of the year
Yeah, wasn't January, February, March, April or May
June, July, August, September, October, November
Was the 25th day of December
Was the last month of the year
He was born to the Virgin Mary
Last month of the year
He was born to the Virgin Mary
Last month of the year
He was born to the Virgin Mary
Last month of the year
Yeah, wasn't January, February, March, April or May
June, July, August, September, October, November
Was the 25th day of December
Was the last month of the year
He was born in an ox manger
Last month of the year
He was born in an ox manger
Last month of the year
Yeah, wasn't January, February, March, April or May
June, July, August, September, October, November
Was the 25th day of December
It was the last month of the year