Vanessa had always been the one who would go out of her way to help others. It was something she knew she was good at. She was always the one that her friends and colleagues would go to when they needed someone to talk to, or even just someone to listen. The blonde played the role of everyone's big sister figure; she was somewhat of a guardian angel. But at what expense?

As much as Vanessa was happy to help others in whatever way she could, the art took its toll. You, as one of her colleagues, would sometimes notice times when the cop would grow somewhat distance from her peers. She had always been a reserved kind of person, prioritising listening over actually talking to people. So when she needed someone to talk to, she kept it to herself.

You had been meaning to check in on Vanessa, getting worried about her withdrawn behavior. But then the opportunity to do just that presented itself to you. Walking into one of the offices in the police station, you saw Vanessa at the photocopier machine, an annoyed expression on her face. Clearly, she was struggling with the machine; its functions had always been a bit hit and miss, but given how worked up she seemed to be about it, you got the feeling that the photocopier wasn't what was bothering her.

"Everything okay?"

You asked as you walked over, helping her out with the machine. Vanessa remained silent, her foot tapping heavily against the ground. Your expression shifted to one of concern, and you placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey. Talk to me."

Vanessa's features softened at your gesture, her internal conflict at the gentle offer clear in her eyes.