The Long Game, A Zootopia Fanfiction

Partner Tails

Disclaimer: Zootopia and all related characters are owned by Disney. All other characters, product names, trademarks, and copyrights, belong to their respective owners.

.....

Checking the address Clawhauser had given him, again, Pawson looked up at the Grand Pangolin Arms and shook his head, 'What the hell, Hopps, this place is a dump.'

Wanting to avoid prying eyes, and ears, he'd put off going through Judy's old apartment until midday in the hopes that either everyone would be at work, or asleep taking a nap. Grabbing his phone and making sure the holster above his tail was hidden under his shirt, Connor crossed the street.

Bogo had filled him in on Judy's housing situation, 'Damn that speciest ewe setting up Hopps like that,' and given him a copy of Clawhauser's unofficial notes describing everything Jackson had found before summarily being recalled to Precinct One by the pissed off cheetah.

'No call box, no door locks, and the lobby doesn't look like it's been swept in months. Seriously Hopps, what the hell were you thinking living here?'

Sighing, Connor walked toward the landlord's door thinking, 'Maybe this was the best she could do.' He knew that some species were profiled pretty heavily by landlords, foxes for sure, skunks a little, but he never figured rabbits...

"Holy crap, that's not right," Connor whispered to himself.

Tacked on a bulletin board next to the landlord's door was a poster with two rabbits surrounded by a horde of rabbit kits and in large print, 'Could it be time to get yourself – FIXED?'

Staring at the poster, he was tempted to tear it down. He and Olivia had had their share of problems with landlords that wouldn't rent to them because they were an interspecies couple. But at least in his and Olivia's case, none of those bigots were ever quite as blunt with their opinions as this POS.

Smiling to himself, Connor remembered when he and Olivia almost lost out on their current apartment. Olivia had done all the legwork, finding and touring the perfect place. She'd submitted their applications, gotten them approved, and was going over the lease with the landlord when suddenly everything stopped.

Connor Pawson, tardy ZPD Officer, Olivia's boyfriend, and most definitely not a feline, showed up to sign the lease.

The speciest old bear pulled back the lease, told them someone else had given him a hold deposit and to come back never, the place was already taken. When Olivia burst out in tears, Connor had tried to console her. They'd been through a dozen places with no success, and Olivia couldn't take it anymore. Pulling out her phone, she looked at her mate, waited until Connor nodded, and then called her dad.

A few minutes of sobbing into her phone later, the landlord's cell phone rang. Holding Olivia tight, he'd watched the old bear on the phone. It was one of the most unusual things he'd ever seen. The bear never said anything past 'Hello,' and two minutes later, the hold deposit was forgotten, and the landlord was handing Olivia a signed lease and a set of keys.

Connor lightly rapped a knuckle on the landlord's door.

He wasn't looking forward to talking with this guy, but he needed to check out Judy's old room. He just hoped the guy didn't ask to see a warrant. Generating any official paperwork, like a warrant, might tip off whoever had hired the Mule, which in turn would piss off a certain cape buffalo.

No answer.

Clawhauser's notes said that the landlord had been reported missing, and after Jackson's visit, no one had been sent back out to follow up.