A/N: A little drabble for season 11's, "The Circle".


"Do you ever think about who's going to take our place when we leave," Deeks asked quietly as they drove to the bar. His eyebrows were narrowed in a frown, forming a deep groove.

Kensi's sighed, knowing that his mind was likely on the women they'd just help rescue.

"Yeah, a lot."

"I just keep thinking that if we hadn't gotten there in time, those girls would either still be in the hands of human traffickers or dead. And that seems like an incredibly selfish thing to put on someone else." His voice was slightly hoarse and shaky with emotion.

Sliding her hand across the console, Kensi wrapped her fingers around his. In a lot of ways, she felt the same way. It was one of the many reasons she found it so hard to contemplate leaving the team.

"Deeks, as much as I hate to say it, there's always going to be situations like today's. And I don't think we can spend the rest of our lives taking responsibility for them. Making plans for our future that don't include exploding buildings and terrorist threats, isn't selfish," Kensi said, surprised that she actually meant every word.

"What if the new guys aren't any good?" Deeks asked.

"We'll make sure they are. Before we leave, we'll make sure they're ready," Kensi said firmly. And hopefully it would be enough. They were silent for the rest of the drive, occupied with their own thoughts