Yes (Parks and Recreation Fanfic)

Part 12 - Ben

We are all exhausted beyond belief. Last night was a long, rough night. Leslie lost. I can't believe she lost. How did she lose? I guess the public doesn't want an honest civil servant anymore. The lack of sleep and frustration at this town make it hard to work. It's about halfway through the day when I get a knock at my door.
"Come in!"
In steps Bobby Newport with two people I don't recognize tailing him.
"Is this Chris' office?"
"No. His is right through that door." I point to the door connecting our offices.
"What's your name?"
"Ben. Ben Wyatt."
"Oh! You're Ben?" He takes a long pause. "I'm sorry, man."
"What for?"
"Taking away your job. It nothing personal just-"
"You're doing WHAT?!?"
"You see, I kind of promised your job to Elmer here... so sorry. But I promised him and I don't break promises."
"Don't you have to put this through the city council first?"
"Oh, don't worry! We already did! It won 3-2! Both you and Chris are out of a job. Man, I'm really sorry. But a promise is a promise. Apparently my friend Kyle already told Chris about this, like a month ago."
My head feels like it's going to explode. His optimistic tone of voice does not help either. I storm into Chris' office, with Bobby following me.
"Chris! Why didn't you tell me that we were getting fired if Bobby won this thing?"
"We? I was told that it was a possibility that I might lose my job if Bobby won, but nobody told me your job was on the line!" He looks behind me to see Bobby and two other guys. "I'm so sorry, Ben." He says softly.
"Uh, not to rush you or anything, but I want these offices cleared out in the next hour so my buddies can move in!"
Chris and I both stare at Bobby.
"Well, we need time to say goodbye to all of our friends." Chris says
"Ok! As long as this is out in an hour! Bye, guys!" He leaves with that.
"Ok... um.... boxes. We need boxes. None of us has enough car space to hold all of this... do you know anyone with a pickup?" I say, trying to push down the emotions associated with this situation. Chris' face shows a lack of emotion as well.
"Check with everyone in the Parks Department. One of them should have something."
"OK. We can say our goodbyes down there too. Is there anyone else that we really need to say goodbye to?"
"I want to say goodbye to Ann Perkins. But aside from her, our friends were in the Parks Department."
"Of course."
I find some boxes in the mailing center on the first floor. I bring a couple up for Chris and a couple up for me.
I enter the elevator. A hear someone step in behind me. I turn around to see Ron. He nods at me and then we both face the door.
"Bobby Newport fired me and Chris so his friends could have the position." I say as the door closes.
"Really? Son, I believe that you just defined communism. If there's one thing I hate more than getting into people's personal affairs, it's communism. How can I stop this dictator?"
"I don't think you can. He's a fairly corrupt one who puts on a clueless, optimistic attitude."
"This man sounds like my worst nightmare. And by firing you, he just made the worst type of enemy: a Swanson."
"Thanks Ron, but I don't think that you alone can stop him. He's in a pretty high position of authority."
"That's never stopped a Swanson."
The elevator doors open and Ron walks out. I follow him.
"Hey Ron, you don't by any chance own a pickup, do you? We need help moving out."
"Sure thing, son."
I follow him to the Parks Department. I walk in and look around. Leslie is gone. Damn. She was the only one I really wanted to say goodbye to.
"Well, bye guys." I say to the general crowd.
"Bye." Says April, not looking up from her magazine.
"Wait, Ben, where are you going?" Andy asks
"He just got fired, by a dictator by the name of Bobby Newport." Ron says from beside me. "Hold up. Newport fired him? Didn't he just get into office today?" Donna asks.
"Yup. And as his first proposed bill, he wanted to fire me and Chris so he could put in his friends into the position. We have" I glance back at the clock. "45 minutes to leave."
"I knew there was something evil about that Newport." Jerry says. "Well, tell me how I can help."
"We just might need some help moving out." Everyone, including April, stands up to help.
"Oh, and where's Leslie?"
"She's doing a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new piece of playground equipment up in the Sanders Park down South of here." Jerry says as he and the rest of the group leave for my office.
Andy pulls me over before I can leave.
"Dude, didn't you tell me that you liked Leslie, like a year ago? How did that go?"
If I tell Andy and he lets it out, I could get-
Wait, I'm already fired. And if I'm fired, I can take full responsibility for the relationship and Leslie won't get in trouble!
"Andy, can you keep a secret?"
"Eh... I don't know Ben. I'm not good with secrets."
"Whatever. Just try not to make too big of a deal about this, OK?"
"I think I can do that."
"Remember when Leslie and I went on that road trip about a year ago?" He thinks for a second.
"Oh, yeah! Tom pitted me and April against each other and we had a huge fight while you were gone!"
"Oh. Wow...um.. I'm sorry. But the day after we came back from that, we started dating. We were dating up until the day after Lil' Sebastian's memorial."
"Wait... so all those nights you didn't come home, you were..." His mouth drops open into a really big, gaping smile and his eyes grow wide. I nod my head a little. "Wait, why'd you guys break up." He says, losing his giddy expression.
"It was the only way she could run for City Council. She couldn't have a scandal."
"But she's not going to be in City Council, right? Why are you guys not together now?"
I'm about to say that because I'm her boss and it was too hard to keep it under wraps, but then it hits me.
I'm not her boss anymore.
"I... don't know."
"Do you still like her?"
I don't even have to think about my answer.
"Yes. Yes I do."
"Then go for it, man! Come on, she's not going to wait for you forever!"
He smiles at me and then follows the rest of the group.
By the time I reach our office, Chris is enthusiastically hugging everyone who comes and tries to help us pack.
I step to the front of the group and starting calling out directions.
"OK! Everyone put pictures and personal stuff into one box, files and office supplies in another, Ron, can you get your truck out out front and ready to load? Oh, wait, where did I put that new set of office supplies I got for us? I think there might be some things on the other side of that bookcase; old presentation posters, stuff like that. But I really don't need those. Forget I said that And could some-"
"Ben. Calm down. We got this. Just, relax, OK?"
I look over and am shocked to see that the source of this is April. She's already loading my pictures and random desk gadgets into a box.
"OK. I.. I'm sorry guys, just this is all really sudden and I'm kind of stressed out."
I feel my body start to get shaky, my breathing get deeper. Don't cry Ben, don't cry. I close my eyes. I know everyone is staring at me. Keep calm. Just open your eyes and get back to work. Suddenly, I feel two strong arms around me. Chris holds me tight. I can feel tears coming from his eyes too. We sit there for a while until he steps back and puts his hands on my shoulders.
"I've already talked to the boys upstairs in the state government. They'd take us back. We could live that life again, travelling, solving each problem as it comes."
I look around at a half a dozen faces staring at me. I remember what Andy said to me about Leslie. I could finally get the life I wanted. I've made so many friends, had an amazing relationship, and frankly loved living in Pawnee.
"I think I've grown attached to the stationary life, here in Pawnee."
"I was hoping you'd say that." Chris says with a smile, patting me on the shoulder.
Thirty minutes pass as everyone desperately cleans up the last little files and stuff and puts them into sorted stacks. I look over at my desk. April and Andy had made good time cleaning it up. All that was left was my computer and my phone, which I would leave here. I walk over to my computer and log out. Ron walks in then.
"Ready to leave." He says with a nod. What took him 30 minutes, I don't know.
I walk over to him, close enough to whisper. He looks wildly uncomfortable with the close proximity, but stays still.
"I don't want to say this too loud, but do everything in your power to make Newport's life miserable. He beat Leslie and then claims our office without a second thought. I want you to give him hell, without getting in any legal trouble. Can you do that?"
He smiles.
"It would be my pleasure."
I smile and nod, then go back and grab a box full of my files. We have 5 more minutes until we have to leave.
"Ben?" Says April who is still standing behind my desk. She has a super sized pack of gum in her hand and a cruel smile on her face. I walk over to a bookshelf and grab another pack that I kept there. I toss it to her.
"Go to town."
She smiles wider, and throws a couple of pieces in her mouth. She sticks all 48 pieces underneath the desk by the time we have to leave, which is fairly impressive if you ask me. We load the rest of the boxes in the car and say our goodbyes. It's a small town. We'll still see each other, but it still feels sad leaving all of these people, and a life I had grown comfortable with, behind.
"April? Andy? Could you just drop these boxes off in my room? I've got one more thing I've got to do."
I smile a little at Andy and he looks a bit confused. Of Andy's attributes, long term memory (or even short term, for that matter), isn't his best. I get into my car and pull up directions to Sanders Park.
There are balloons, snacks, and dozens of families strolling around. This is pretty much the definition of a Leslie Knope project; thought out to perfection to please everyone. There's one odd thing though- she's not anywhere to be seen. She would generally be serving snacks, talking to families, or even playing on the new equipment. I ask a random mother.
"Excuse me, do you know who organized this event?"
"Yes. Leslie Knope, the woman who ran for City Council?"
"Yeah, that's her. Are you enjoying the party?"
"We've been to almost every single one of her events in the past 2 years. This party is amazing, but she's been very distant. It's not like her."
"I'm a friend of hers, looking to maybe talk to her. Do you know where she is?"
"I saw her walk down that path over there." she points to a dirt path that leads into a small forest.
"Thank you."
I walk down the path, looking on both sides of the trailway for Leslie. Finally the path leads to an open area. I look to the right and see a small lake. It looks highly polluted, but it's pretty nonetheless. A small bench sits overlooking the lake. She sits there, looking at the water. I walk up behind her.
"The ceremony looks like it went well."
She whips around.
"Yeah. I guess it did." I can hear the lack of enthusiasm in her voice. "Shouldn't you be at City Hall?" I take a seat next to her.
"Nah. So how are you feeling after last night?"
"Surprisingly OK."
"Really? Come on, Leslie. I can hear it in your voice." she sighs heavily.
"I just feel, defeated. This was my dream."
"I thought your dream was to run for President one day."
"Well, yeah. But this was the first step."
"Not necessarily. Look, this town doesn't really like change. Trust me, there are millions of cities in America that would love to have you as a President."
"Thanks, Ben." she says, a small glimmer of hope in her voice. I sit next to her.
"Plus, Bobby Newport is an ass. He won't be in there forever."
"He's not too bad. I mean, he did hold the town at hostage with threatening to take away Sweetums, but wasn't he just the puppet of his campaign manager?"
"Well, if he's a puppet, then he has a ruthless, mean puppetmaster."
"Come on Ben, he's not too bad. He's just a bit clueless. And if we're working for him now, we might as well try to think of him in a good light."
"Not all of us will be working for him."
"What do you mean? Of course we're all working for him! We all-"
"He fired me and Chris."
Her face goes pale.
"He WHAT?!"
"He fired me and Chris so he could put his 'buddies' in the position. He made us clear out our desks in an hour so his 'buddies' could get started right away."
"Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped! I could've-"
"Leslie, it's OK. I knew you were busy."
"Helping you is more important! Oh no....This is all my fault. I could've campaigned harder, I could've been more like them, I could've supported, oh I don't know, a Paunch Burger. They love those, right? I could've done so much more to win! Then you wouldn't-"
"Leslie, it's not your fault. And there's nothing we can do about it now."
She puts her head into her hand. "Oh god."
"Are...are you OK?"
"It seems like the whole world is collapsing around me. First, the nomination, then we had to break up to get it back after I f***ed up and lost it, and.. Oh my gosh! Ben! You helped fund my campaign! I just wasted your money!"
"You didn't waste it, Leslie. I was happy to support you."
"And then I lose, and then you get fired because of it?! I messed everything up. Now I'm single, guilty, and miserable."
"Don't feel guilty. You took that nomination because it was your dream. You followed your dream, and sure, you didn't reach it. That only means that the next time an opportunity shows itself, you will reach beyond that because you are twice as determined. If I know you at all, I know you'll get back on your feet. Chris and I will be fine. Your world isn't collapsing. Just think of it as a new beginning."
She looks up, staring at me with a small smile.
"How do you do it?"
"How do I do what?"
"Think of the perfect thing to say at the perfect time?"
I laugh.
"I just say the truth."
She sits in silence for a second staring at her lap, but now she's got a small smile plastered on.
"Are you positive that you're not getting your job back?"
"Bobby seemed pretty damn serious about us leaving. Well, as serious as someone like him is ever going to be."
"Well, if it's any comfort, I'll bet anything that whoever he tries to put in your place won't be as kind, or as smart, or as sweet, or as caring or as amazing as you are."
"Elmer did seem quite horrible." I say, laughing a little.
"I mean it though. You put your own needs before mine countless times. You gave me back the chance at the candidacy, you put your own money into my campaign, you put your job on the line to be with me, you let me drag you around during the Harvest Festival Media Blitz-"
"A scarring experience, by the way." We both smile a little more at the memory.
"How did someone as great as you like a person like me?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm stubborn, self-centered, not sensitive to-"
"You're passionate, energetic, caring, beautiful, smart, creative,thoughtful, kind, the list goes on and on."
I look over at her to see her gorgeous smile.
"You're perfect."
"Ben, I'm not-"
I quickly place my hands behind her neck and pull her in for a kiss. After a couple of seconds, I pull away. She puts her arms around my neck and she pulls me in again. We sit there, lips together, for what felt like a glorious eternity.