I always wonder what conversation we didn't get to see between Leslie and Ann after the breakup would have looked like. I kept thinking about it and this story happened.

After the Breakup: aka Leaning on Your Beautiful Tropical Fish BFF and Devouring Waffle Sundaes And Trying to Find The Perfect Post Breakup Movie

"Oh, Ann," Leslie said as she opened her front door and saw her best friend standing before her.

"Hey, Leslie," Ann replied her face full of sorrow and her hands full of things Leslie would later dub "Ann Perkins Supportive Golden Retriever Break Up Kit."

After laying down her items in the kitchen Ann turned around, facing Leslie, and reached her arms out to the woman.

Surprising Leslie didn't budge.

"Hug?" Ann asked.

"Oh, Ann. If I hug you I may crush you or never let go."

:"I'll take my chances," Ann offered before Leslie stepped into her embrace.

"Do I smell waffles?" Leslie asked.

"Would I come on a "Cheer Up Leslie Mission" without waffles? This is phase one: food, comfort, talking, vows of revenge, and moping. Now you go change into your pj's, get your favorite blanket, some tissues, the remote, and meet me on your couch."

A few minutes later as Ann was finishing laying out the waffle sundae spread on Leslie's coffee table, which was thankfully rather clear for a change, Leslie entered the living room offering Ann a soft green blanket and keeping one of those anniversary blankets every town sells to commemorate the event for herself.

"Waffle Sundaes, Ann. Waffles Sundaes. Oh, you beautiful tropical fish."

"Yeah, well, the waffles are from JJ's, your fav, and in every chick flick and tv show ever made after a breakup the best friend comes over with ice cream and ice cream is delicious so why not combine both," Ann said before letting out a deep breath after her long explanation.

After the waffle sundaes were made, Leslie's with extra extra everything and the two women positioned on the couch facing each other, Ann with the blanket covering her lap and Leslie with the blanket around shoulders, Ann finally brought up the reason she was there.

"So I got pretty concerned when you only left me one text message. How did it go? If you want to talk about it."

"Oh Ann. He broke up with me."

"What? That jerk. You were going to breakup with him even though you didn't want to but he decided to end things. What, did he no longer have enough time to devote to watching Star Trek? I'm gonna go find him and beat him down. I could take that skinny little body," Ann exclaimed standing up.

"NO. No, No," Leslie exclaimed waving her hands around and standing up. "It wasn't like that. He broke up with me so that I didn't have to do it."

Both women sat back down and picked back up their waffles sundaes. Ann looked rather perplexed so Leslie explained further.

"He figured out that I had been tapped to run for office. I talk in my sleep and there was a guy in the ladies yacht club and we live in Southern Indiana," Leslie explained.

It began to make sense to Ann but she was still confused by the whole yacht club thing.

"The other night at the restaurant that box he had with him held a campaign button that he made. Knope 2012," Leslie said pulling the button out of her sweatshirt pocket to show Ann.

Confusion slowly left Ann's face while sympathy flooded back in.

"He had figured out that I was being vetted to run for office not too long after I was presented with the opportunity. We were both waiting as long as possible to end things because we wanted it to last as long as possible. Oh, Ann. It was the sweetest most romantic breakup ever," Leslie finished speaking with a sad smile on her face though her eyes held a dreamy look as though they were looking upon something happy far away.

"Wow. That is a romantic break up. I didn't know breakups could be romantic. Although I also didn't know breakups could be done so nicely that the break upee would have no clue that breaking up had been done. I've learned a lot about breakups this year," Ann stated furrowing her eyebrows.

"When he pulled out that pin, Ann, I was like…Crap on a spatula! Actually I was feeling stronger then that. I was more like, f**k. F**k! I was just… The fact that someone, that he, would do that for me…," Leslie started to say but stopped.

If Leslie had continued speaking Ann would have heard Leslie say that in that moment Leslie thought that she just might have fallen in love with Ben Wyatt.

"He also has really good campaign button making design skills," Leslie commented breaking up the silence.

A pause in the conversation broke both women out of their thoughts and made them turn their focus back to their now melting waffles sundaes. For Leslie to not scarf down a waffle sundae in warp speed Ann knew that Leslie was really down in the dumps. Ann then shared her breakup stories like Leslie had once done about a year before. Of course, Ann didn't have too many embarrassing or heart breaking breakup stories but Leslie appreciated the sentiment behind it.

After phase one had run it's course it was onto phase two: making light of the effects of the breakup and finding hope but ending up moping again while drinking cheap wine.

Leslie was now pacing on the other side of the coffee table while Ann sat on the couch. Sarah McLachlan played in the background.

"We weren't together for that long. It was a secret relationship. I'll be okay. We were going to have to breakup anyways. I mean what other option did we have. It wouldn't have been feasible and it was a huge risk. When we started we decided that we would date in secret and if we made it to six months we would revaluate. But then what would we have done? We both love our jobs and would still be in a secret forbidden relationship. I'm not the type of person to risk my job for a guy and that's exactly what I was doing. I mean, yes it felt good. It was great to actually feel really good about a guy and to continue feeling great after the bubble burst. Is he a great man? Yes. Did I look forward to seeing and talking to him everyday? Yes. Was he the best at "bed room stuff" I ever had? Yes. Could I imagine taking off on Airforce One with him and a secret service detail? Maybe that image formed in my mind once or twice, kind of," Leslie finally took a breath. Leslie then sat back down on the couch next to Ann, who was waiting to see if Leslie was finished speaking as she had been on quite a roll.

"There was no easy way out. I guess it worked out. It's a good thing that I got this opportunity to run for office now because ending things now would've been much easier then later when we were just further in. I just need to look on the bright side.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's true," Ann rationalized alongside Leslie, "It's just that you were so bummed that you had to breakup with him and you guys were really cute together. As a single girl with no dating prospects on the horizon you two were a bit nauseating."

"We were nauseating," Leslie said putting her hand over heart," That's so sweet."

"You're welcome."

"Also," Ann supplied, "You risked your job over the Harvest Festival because you believed in it. You risked your job to be with Ben because you believed that you two had something worth exploring. That's significant Leslie. It's okay to be upset about this."

After a long sip of wine Leslie loudly groaned.

"I really like him Ann. Usually my professional life is on track. It's going well despite the curveballs thrown by Pawnee's worst citizens. My romantic life is usually non existent or in shambles. I'm usually okay with that. I can deal. But Ben is so sweet and cute and funny and nice. Nice, Ann, nice. We like the same things. All those nights cuddling and drinking wine while watching History Channel documentaries. Also, if I might be so bold as to say, wink wink if you get what I mean," Leslie said while winking, poorly, and literally saying the words wink wink.

"I get it Leslie. You don't have to say wink wink," Ann said hurriedly but then softened and leaned in after a sip of wine, "So was there anything special he did or like why do you think the sex was so much better?"

"Nothing in particular. Just like, I don't know. He's very polite and generous though he can be a very intense person. And with him, I wasn't like thinking as much about other stuff as I usually do," Leslie said all of this while narrowing her eyes in remembrance and bringing her hand up to her collarbone. "I also really felt like his equal. Like the first time we were both so nervous and awkward and also I imagine having a secret forbidden affair with months of sexual tension over documents really helps. He also does a great Reagan," Leslie said leaning in and letting out a long sigh.

That last statement in particular made Ann pause in confusion.

"Alright, let's get to phase three of this operation. According to Hollywood we women now have to watch a movie. Either a romantic comedy to make us feel jealous of other women who eventually after several missteps get the guy and also it could make us feel hopeful that we could be that girl one day. Or, a really sad movie with a tragic ending so we can get all the tears out," Ann then reached on the floor behind herself pulling up a bag filled with DVD's.

"I went to the rental place and got some options. Options one, Wuthering Heights, they're all miserable. Two and three, Beaches or Terms of Endearment, they're all sad. Four, The First Wives Club, they get revenge. Five, Under the Tuscan Sun, she goes to Italy. Six, My Best Friends Wedding, because Julia Roberts and love could be right in front of you. Seven, eight, and nine: You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, and When Harry Met Sally. Meg Ryan Standards. Option ten, The American President, you love that movie," Ann said smiling

"Oh, Ann. Ben and I watched that movie and we took notes about secret political love affairs which I put into my SSSGEFR binder," Leslie methodically stated.

"I'm gonna need you to explain that."

"SSSGEFR: Super Secret Scandulous Governmental Ethically Forbidden Relationship," Leslie said as if it were a no brainer.

"I have that binder hidden in my laundry room with a false cover that says Middle School Paperwork."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you'd have a SS whatever binder," Ann replied.

Alright, option eleven, Bridges of Maddison County because Meryl Steep is amazing."

"Hmmm."

"And the twelfth and final option is Hoosiers because this is Indiana and they have 25 copies of that movie at the rental place and they practically forced me to rent it even though I said I wasn't interested. They said I was unpatriotic if I didn't take it."

"Underdogs and the greatest state in America, Ann."

"So what's it going to be?"

"Let's make it Bridges of Maddison County. Clint Eastwood is a fox in that movie."

"Okay," Ann said forcing a smile on her face. She just didn't get Leslie's thing for greying men.

"Also, how did they let you check out more than three movies?" Leslie inquired.

"I had to flirt with the guy. And look at a mole on his back, the downside of being a nurse everyone wants you to look at weird stuff on their body. Though he ended up not even having a mole on his back. He just wanted me to look at his gross hairy back, I guess. He said the mole must've fallen off but that can't happen. Eww. I'm not looking forward to returning these movies."

"Alright, movie time!" Leslie shouted trying to not focus on Ann's gross nurse story.

"Am I bad person for choosing my career over a relationship?" Leslie asked. The movie was about half way over and besides the occasional comment the women had been silent.

"No. This is your dream. You've been working towards it for forever. Obviously Ben understood and supports you," Ann said to remind Leslie.

"You're right. I'm sure Ben and I will be able to still be friends and friendship is great. Better because we're not forbidden from being friends. So I can just, yeah I'll look forward to the day when we can be friends."

After the credits rolled, Leslie always insisted that the credits be played in their entirety otherwise she said it was, "disrespectful to the behind the scenes people", Ann poured some more wine and pulled out the first movie she and Leslie had ever watched together. The movie that they had to watch on their Anniversary of the First Movie We Watched Together Day. Tootsie.

"Ahh, Tootsie, Ann! This is the first movie you and I ever watched together. Remember the day I referenced it and you were like, "I love that movie," and then we talked about it and made plans to watch it," Leslie reminisced as she sat down with some freshly popped popcorn.

"I remember. How could I forget? That solidified out friendship. And I remember you volunteering us to dress up as guys dressing up as women in honor of the movie for that Women in the Workplace Seminar at City Hall and perform that skit you wrote."

"Good times, Ann."

"Yep."

After the credits rolled, in their entirety, the wine glasses were put in the sink, a shopping trip to Indy was planned to buy Leslie a "Running for Office" pant suit, and a goodbye hug was given Leslie was alone with her thoughts, and several birdhouses because she could just never get rid of all those birdhouses. Leslie crawled into bed looking through her SSSGEFR binder reminiscing. Tomorrow she decided she would be okay. If she didn't feel okay tomorrow then she'd pretend things were okay. She'd fake it until she made it. And Leslie knew they would be okay. She was a grown woman with a good head on her shoulders. She had survived plenty of breakups and she was confident she and Ben could be friends soon. They still had work after all and plenty of things in common. She'd focus on the campaign and maybe finally organize her closets. Her dreams were starting to come true, career wise at least, and screw Aunt Rose who patronizingly would be asking if Leslie would have a plus one for Christmas dinner.

How was it? I hope you enjoyed. This is my first Parks story. Please review. Did I get the character's voices right? My goal was to explain Leslie's pov dealing with the breakup, did I succeed? Let me know so I can improve as a writer and story teller. Thanks for reading!