Kim Possible and all related characters and indicia are owned by the Disney Corporation. This work of fan fiction is written for pleasure, not profit.

Ron Stoppable sat slumped over a table at Bueno Nacho, his chin resting on one hand while he stared blankly out the window and toyed absently with his food. He didn't hear Monique call his name until she shouted it in his ear. "What has gotten in to you Ron?" she demanded as she slid into a chair opposite him.

"Nothing," he said distractedly.

"Like hell," Monique rebuked him. "Something's bugging you, and it must be damn serious." Ron perked up a bit.

"Why do you say that?" he asked irascibly. Monique smiled at him, managing with that simple movement of her lips to convey both amusement and concern.

"Because there's a grande sized chimmerito in front of you and you aren't eating it," she said gently.

Ron heaved a sigh and leaned back in his chair. "It's that obvious, eh?"

"C'mon Ron. My mom says a trouble shared is a trouble halved. What's wrong?"

"It's Kim's sixteenth birthday, and I don't know what to get her," Ron said gloomily. Monique quashed the urge to make a smart-ass remark. Ron was rarely in a funk. That along with the fact that he wasn't eating told, no, screamed, that this was serious.

"What do you normally get her?" Monique asked. She knew perfectly well, of course, because Kim had told her all about Ron's gifts: usually hand made, occasionally purchased, always cheap...er, inexpensive, and delivered with such sincere exuberance that she couldn't help but be touched.

"Oh, cards, toys, gift certificates. I bought her a bracelet once." Ron sighed again.

"And why won't one of those won't do this time?" Monique asked.

"'Cause it's her sixteenth birthday. Sweet sixteen, the birthday of birthdays. Some cheap trinket won't do. I want it to be something special."

"How about flowers?"

Ron scowled. "Flower have three strikes: One, too expensive. Two, too boyfriendy. Three, they've been done." He hissed the last.

"Josh?"

"Mankey," Ron nodded.

"Why is it such a problem?"

"Because...because Kim's my friend, my best friend in the whole world, and I don't have many of those. I want to give her something that shows how - how much that means to me. How much she means to me." Ron hung his head. "And I can't think of anything," he finished despairingly.

Monique pondered. This was a side of Ron she hadn't seen before. She had always seen Ron as a buffoon, and often wondered why Kim put up with him. Now, with sudden insight, she knew. Ron loved Kim. Not in a boyfriendy way (for Ron, at least from Monique's point of view, barely realized Kim was a girl), but not in a brotherly way either. Monique had heard about Platonic love, but always thought it was BS. After all, who could ever completely disregard sex? And sexual attraction? But here Ron was, wanting to do right by his friend on her special day, and despairing because he didn't know how. With a pang of sympathy Monique reached out an covered Ron's hand with her own.

"Well, I can't say you should get her what I did: a gift certificate to Victoria's Secret." Ron blushed, and Monique grinned. "But if you really want an inside track on what Kim wants for her B-day... ask her mom."