A/N: I know that I should be focusing on my SWAC story (K&A-JP) but ever since Adam Scott has permanently on Parks and Recreation, ahhh. I love Adam Scott with all my heart. I love love love Adam Scott and Amy Poehler. They have some of the best chemistry I have ever seen and this show, which was already one of my favorites, is now one of my very favorites. This is my first Parks and Rec fanfic and I hope you enjoy it. Oh and let's pretend that Leslie hasn't told Ann that she likes Ben, but Ann has a hunch. This might be a multichap. Actually it probably will be.

Convincing Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt

Chapter One: The Plan

Leslie Knope was sitting at her desk, staring at her computer, attempting to work, but failing miserably. She heard Ann Perkins near her office door, but didn't look up; she didn't want to look like she wasn't working. She heard Ann say, "Bye," and give the current guy she was dating a light kiss on the lips. Ann walked into Leslie's office, "Hey Leslie!" she said excitedly.

"Oh, hey Ann!" Leslie said, finally looking up from her computer, "Who was that?"

"Uh…Ben," Ann said, her tone implying that she either didn't want to tell Leslie who it was (making Leslie believe that this 'Ben' could be her Ben) or that she honestly couldn't remember his name. So, Leslie immediately looked out of her little office to see if it was indeed Ben Wyatt, but she found him nowhere in sight but nor was anyone else. She tried to think about it logically, Ann wouldn't date Ben because she's dating a bunch of guys right now, none of which she knew beforehand. But, Leslie probably was looking at her computer long enough for him to make his way back to his office. Ann was dating to get over Chris Traeger, though. So why would she date the person who Chris was closest with here? Maybe she should just ask Ann, but she knows how Chris feels about inner government relationships and maybe, just maybe, she could get over this crush on Ben Wyatt.

"Leslie, Leslie," Ann called her out of her thoughts and back to reality.

"Oh, sorry," Leslie flushed red, "I guess I'm a little distracted today," she bit her lip as Ben walked into the main office where Donna, Jerry, April, and Tom's desks were. She couldn't help but stare as he conversed with them and she wished he was in her office talking with her.

"Don't worry, Leslie," Ann breathed, barely above a whisper, "My date wasn't with Ben Wyatt."

And Leslie breathed a sigh of relief, only to quickly turn beet red and say, "Is it that obvious?"

"I'm your best friend and it took me this long to figure it out, how long have you liked him for anyway?"

"Uh…since the Harvest Festival…maybe before then…"

"Oh my gosh! Well does he like you?" Ann asked with a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

"I don't know!" Leslie said, feeling defeated while she watched him walk by her office on the way back to his. He glanced in, surprised to see her looking at him, but he smiled at her nonetheless. She easily returned the smile and continued on, "I asked him out to lunch and he turned me down, but Chris said Ben told him the other day that he might be interested in seeing someone from the office, but he told Ben that he doesn't allow inner government relationships," she sighed, "he said that's why Tom and I couldn't see each other, as if we were…," they laughed together.

"Leslie, he only said no because of Chris's rule!"

"No, you don't know that, it could have been about someone else in the office," Leslie shook her head.

"Fine, you leave me no other choice, I'm going to monitor his behavior around you," Ann stated, standing up to leave.

"Ann," Leslie whined like a little girl who didn't get the stuffed animal that she had wanted from a crane machine.

"Oh and I came to tell you that I can't do lunch tomorrow at JJ's, but don't worry, I'll find someone for you to go to lunch with," she smiled mischievously.

"Okay," Leslie frowned, "See you later, then!" she put a smile on her face and Ann smiled and walked out of Leslie's office, leading Leslie to look back at her computer, not seeing that Ann had really gone over to Ben's office.

"Ann Perkins!" Chris exclaimed.

"Oh, hey Chris," Ann replied, still upset that he broke up with her so nicely that she hadn't even known that he had broken up with her, "Is Ben in his office?"

"Why yes he is," he started to answer, only to be cut off by Ann.

"Thanks," she said and swiftly walked into Ben's office before Chris could continue. Ben glanced up and then back down at his work, then did a double take. He was used to his only visitors being Chris and Leslie.

"Hey Ann, what can I do for you?" he asked, leaning back in his chair to look at her.

"Leslie and I are going to lunch tomorrow at JJ's and I was wondering if you wanted to join us," she said so casually. His pulse rate quickened and he could feel sweat building on his palms and at his hairline. He already had to turn Leslie down once and that was so hard to do, he didn't think he could turn down going out with her again. But, Ann would be there so he wasn't really going out with Leslie…you know what, why not? Chris couldn't take this as a date, so it looks like Ben had won this round.

"Sure, I don't have any plans for lunch tomorrow," he tried to sound casual. He thought Ann didn't see through him, but how wrong he was. Ann was beaming on the inside, she was so happy for Leslie.

But on the outside, Ann simply smiled and said, "Okay, see you there at one!" and she slipped out of his office and Chris's without him noticing. She checked her phone and it read fifteen minutes past three, perfect timing since she knew that Leslie was always in the bathroom at that time. Ann quickly walked out of the office building; barely anyone gave her a being in the office a second thought, not even April who she usually earned a glare from. So far, so good, Ann thought. Now it was off to the hospital for her. Leslie exited the bathroom just as Ann pulled away in her car. The rest of the day at work went smoothly without anything interesting really happening. Thankfully, Ben had a lot of work and didn't get the chance to talk to Leslie much that day (Well, thankfully for Ann, not for Ben and Leslie.) And Leslie was able to get back on task after talking to Ann, managing to come up with at least five new ideas for projects in Pawnee. She couldn't wait to suggest them at their next meeting and she secretly hoped that Ben would be impressed.

Leslie Knope left the office last, as usual, following shortly after Ben around thirty minutes after five. She got in her car and drove to her home. On the ride home she finally began to think about Ben, she had actually gotten some work done after Ann had left and her mind ran far away from Ben. She wondered if Ann really thought that he liked her. Was it possible that Mean Ben, the person she had hated for quite some time but had grown to know and love, felt the same way about her? It couldn't be…and even if it was, she thought as she pulled into her driveway, it could never happen because of that dumb rule Chris has. She changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt and separated her hair in half at the part, putting it into two ponytails – one on either side of her head, just above her ears. She got a bowl of chocolate ice cream for herself and sat down on her couch, turning on the six o'clock news.

Ben Wyatt had quite a different routine than that of Leslie Knope. He had a lot of work today, well not very much. He had finished just after Ann left his office but he started the work that he knew would have to be done eventually tonight. He knew that Leslie stayed until thirty minutes after five every day. He liked staying and working until it was almost time for her to close up shop. He liked to personally say goodbye to her, sometimes even help her lock up and walk to her car with her. He thought about how much his life had changed since he had met her. Even before he started planning everything around her and making her the center of his world, she impacted how he acted, changing him from Mean Ben to the eighteen year old Benjy who had been mayor and tried to make an Ice Town. He changed into a pair of basketball shorts when he got home and threw on a t-shirt. He grabbed a bowl and made some popcorn, plopped down on his sofa and watched the six o'clock news.