Disclaimer: I don't own any part of The Nanny…yet.

A/N: My husband gave me the overall idea…ok, actually he gave me the title. But every now and then I like to throw him a bone. LOL - D

The Nanny Mysteries

Chapter 1

"Sir, I'm not sure I understand why I have to participate in this?" Niles asked hoping beyond all possible hopes that he can get out of this newly presented activity from hell.

Max smiled at his dear friend. "Niles, old man, it's just an evening out, I don't understand why you wouldn't want to go? You usually love these Theatre Guild events."

"I'm not usually asked to dress as a beatnik nincompoop." Niles answered in his most distressed voice.

CC practically burst into the office. "No, no, no! Maxwell I refuse…the Guild can't do this to me!"

Max again smiled at his friend then again at CC. "What your problem with this event, CC?"

"I don't mind that it's a charity event. I don't mind that it's a costumed, charity event. I don't even mind that it's a murder mystery, costumed, charity event...but why in name of all that's good and holy have they chosen this particular costume for me?"

Max sighed and was just about to answer when his bride strolled in from the den. "Max I'm so excited about this party at the Theatre Guild!" Fran and Max had been married about six months and Fran just loved any opportunity to 'appear' as Mrs. Maxwell Sheffield. "I even get a cute costume."

"Well, Darling, I'm looking forward to it as well." Max excepted Fran's offered arms. "Niles and CC and I were just discussing the guild's costume choices for us."

Fran smiled at Max, knowing full well that he chose the costumes for them. "Oh, well yeah I guess I can understand why they might not like them. Their characters are really difficult to pull off."

"I beg your pardon?" Niles was a little offended. "I don't think I'll have any difficulty pulling off my character, as you say."

CC crossed her arms over her chest. "I know I can do my character justice. I just don't think it was a fair choice."

"I don't know, Babs," Niles started. "Considering…there were only two choices."

CC shrugged. "You mean the smart one or the pretty one?"

"No, I meant the smart one or the dog." Niles tossed and left the office with CC hot on his heels.

Max sat in his desk chair and pulled Fran onto his lap. "I think this is going to work just beautifully, Fran."

"I don't know, Max." Fran wrapped her arms around his neck. "I mean I think you'll be a really cute blonde, and I so love the idea of the red wig for me. But, if I remember the show, and I do, those two weren't ever really a couple." Fran nodded in the direction Niles and CC left in.

Max chuckled. "If everything goes according to plan, they will be well before the night is out." Max kissed her lightly.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Max. Niles is my best friend and I know he loves CC, but she doesn't really seem to share those feelings. I don't want to see him get hurt."

"Fran," Max started. "I don't want to see him hurt either. You'll have to trust me."

"Ooooo, does Chester get to come too?" Fran asked him.

Max frowned. "Why on earth would we want to take Chester?"

"Well, someone has to be Scooby-Doo." Fran answered.

On the night of the Theatre Guild murder mystery benefit 'the gang' was assembling in the foyer. Max wore blue slacks and a blue button down shirt underneath his white cashmere sweater and an orange ascot. He hated the blond wig, but Fran insisted it was adorable. That evening he would be 'Freddy'.

Fran, who would for the evening be 'Daphne', was wearing a long flowing strawberry blonde wig and a pretty lavender mini skirt with a matching lavender sweater on top. Fran added the essential lime green belt, scarf and hose to complete the picture.

CC came in the front door with a sour look on her face. She was wearing Buddy Holly glasses, and a dark brown page boy wig. Niles would have a field day with that wig. She had on a deep orange knit turtleneck and rust colored mini, orange knee socks and brown clunky pumps. She had 'I'm Velma, the smart one' written all over her. Chester was in a very cute little brown sweater with black spots and looked very much his part of Scooby-Doo.

"Niles…" Max called out. "Hurry up, old man, we don't want to be late."

Niles voice rang out from the upstairs hallway. "I'm not coming out, this is the most embarrassing thing I've ever had on my body. And that includes the ridiculous dress that Babcock made me wear after charity auction."

"Get your sorry butt down here, Hazel. If I can wear this stupid get up in public…you can put up with yours." CC called up the stairs.

Niles shouted. "Fine…but I swear if anyone says a word, you will go to this benefit without me." Niles stepped out onto the balcony. He looked desperately embarrassed. His hair was incredibly messy and he sported a scraggly, no 'Shaggy' goatee. He wore an oversized short sleeved olive green t-shirt and rust colored pants. When he finally got to the bottom of the stairs he looked at his companions for the evening. "This is going to be, like the most embarrassing night of my life." He reached for Chester and announced. "Come on, Scoob, let's hope they've got a good buffet." And the other three followed him out of the mansion each firmly biting their tongues.

When the 'gang' arrived at the benefit they were ushered into the grand hall where the event and 'murder mystery' would take place. They had barely stepped through the doors when they say the other 'sleuths' in attendance. There was a 'Miss Marple', a 'Charlie Chan', and a 'Jessica Fletcher' from the TV show "Murder She Wrote". They saw a 'Sherlock Holmes' and 'Dr. Watson', a 'Hercule Poirot', and a 'Dr. Quincy M.E.'.

There were investigators, doctors, authors, and anyone else who technically had ever solved a 'murder' or a 'mystery'. "Why are we the only cartoon characters?" Niles asked in a less than thrilled tone.

"Why are you asking me? I didn't have anything to do with this benefit?" CC answered him curtly.

Niles squinted at her. "Kept out of the loop again, Babs?"

"That's Velma to you…Shaggy." CC smirked at how silly he looked. "I kind of like the goatee though…and if the shirt fit a little more snuggly it would show off his chest and arms better…" CC got lost in thought.

Niles frowned. "What are you looking at?"

"Uh…just how silly you look." CC laughed.

Niles shrugged at her. "Humf…like you have room to talk…Brunette. How's it feel getting back to your 'natural' color?"

"Smart girls have to be brunette's…didn't they teach you anything in butler school?" CC scoffed at him. "I've told you a million times. I dyed my hair brown before college because I thought I'd look smarter."

Niles frowned. "That's ridiculous."

"I didn't say it made sense, Niles. I'd been told my whole life that I was pretty and I didn't have to be smart. No one ever told me I was smart." CC confessed quietly.

Niles frown softened and he just looked at her beautiful features hidden now behind the glasses and silly brown wig. "Then why all the fuss when you had to be 'the smart one' and Fran got to be the pretty one?"

"I took more offense that I had to put on the glasses and wig to be the smart one." CC didn't meet his gaze.

Niles couldn't help but want to hug her. He couldn't remember her ever seeming as vulnerable as she did at that moment and he knew it wouldn't last. "You only had to wear the glasses and wig to be Velma; not to be smart."

CC looked up into his eyes for a moment. "Well," CC started softly almost reaching for his face, then catching herself. "You didn't need the goatee and oversized t-shirt to look like a moron either."

"Alright, you two," Max chided them. "Try to remember that Shaggy and Velma were friends, okay?"

They both rolled their eyes and the blonde wigged Max. "At least we know that Freddy isn't the sharpest tool in the shed either." CC whispered to Niles who laughed.

"See, Darling." Max leaned into Fran as the two walked just ahead of their friends. "They're laughing together already."