"All of my life, where have you been? I wonder if I’ll ever see you again. And if that day comes, I know we could win, I wonder if I’ll ever see you again…"

~ Lenny Kravitz, "Again"

Disclaimer: I do not personally know Ryan Stiles, Drew Carey, or any other DCS/WLiiA? cast member. This story is PURELY fictional. The DCS and the characters contained belong to Warner Brothers & AOL Time Warner/Mohawk Productions. Cherilyn Matthews (Jennifer Nakamoto) is a character that was created by me in order to write the story I intended to. I have used the characters/settings (i.e.: The Warsaw) without permission to write my first fan fiction series. There is a real song called, "I Finally Found Someone," sung by Barbara Streisand and Bryan Adams. I did not make up those lyrics and I did not mean any harm by using them in my writing. If you have any problems, questions, comments, etc. please don’t hesitate to email me at tweety@hi.net. Mahalo.

Author’s Note: We’ll folks, we’ve reached the end of the series and let me tell you, it’s been a long ride, starting from June 2001. It has been over a year since I picked up this fic last and I'd like to dedicate this revision to Leah (popawheelie) because she mentally encouraged me to start writing again. Anyway, I’d like to thank you all again for your support of this fic, as well as Jamie, Gail, Jessica, Molly, Jen-Jen, and all others mentioned in this fic for the use of their names and advice. This fic will have a plot that you would not have expected me to write. Bring out your tissues or whatnot. Drama, Drama, Drama! I am really proud of "Finally Found Someone," and I hope that you are too. After you finish reading the story, can you please send me a comment over email telling me what you think of the story as a whole? (Please, no haters! Creative criticism is welcome and appreciated!) Happy Reading. Rated PG-13 for language and some other content that might not be suitable for younger readers.

The ride was beginning to get exhausting. In the backseat of the teal Chevy Tahoe, Gail was beginning to feel dizzy. "Cher, are we almost there? I’m starting to feel queasy."

"Yeah, we’re almost there…In fact our driver is pulling up to our destination right now." Ryan smiled to himself as he drove through the open silver gates. He was home. He hadn’t been here at all during the summer hiatus. He drove past a cherry red Ferrari convertible that had been parked long before their arrival. How’d he get here so fast? Other cars Ryan recognized were parked in nearby rows of the average sized parking lot.

After finding a suitable space, he turned into it and jerked the car to a stop. "Sorry about that," he almost said. Whew! Almost blew my cover…

"Can we take our blindfolds off now? I don’t want my eyeliner to smear. Well, I don’t want it to smear any further." Jamie laughed.

"No, not yet," Cher told her as she hopped out of the vehicle. She then proceeded to pop open the back door so Jamie and Gail could get out without falling.

A drop of water tenderly caressed Cher’s cheek as it fell from the sky. "We’d better get going, I just felt a raindrop." Ryan nodded and they both escorted Gail and Jamie onto a covered walkway. The walkway led up to a great big building. The building was very plain. It was painted a dark off white color and it had a black, flat roof. They all walked to the two large glass doors at the end of the path.

"Come on guys, can we take a peek?" Gail continued to grow impatient.

"Wait a few more minutes, we’re almost inside."

"Inside where?" Jamie asked.

Giggling, Cher replied, "Inside a building."

Gail groaned, "Well, we knew that."

"Alright, watch your step, we’re going inside." Cher said carefully, making sure to steady Gail. The only person who had previously been inside the building was Ryan, who remained quiet. They paused.

"Ryan, I know it’s you." Jamie grinned. "I could tell by your cologne." She had felt Ryan’s strong presence and was able to figure out who was holding her.

"Finally…I can talk!" He sighed, then looked at his watch. Whispering in Cher’s ear, he said, "I guess I’d better go right now, babe…hey wait, it’s still pretty early, actually, maybe you can come with me. I’m sure the guys won’t mind."

"Hey what are you two whispering about," Jamie queried. Gail gracefully placed a ringlet of her hair behind her ear.

"Oh nothing," Ryan smirked mischievously. "Wait here, I’ll be right back." He went through a dimly lit corridor labeled, "No public entry."

After a couple of minutes, he emerged from the corridor saying, "It’s okay, follow me." He took Jamie’s hand and led her down the corridor. Cher and Gail closely followed, not knowing what to expect. Ryan stopped a few doors down and knocked on a bright red, unlabeled one. The door creaked open, and there was absolute silence as they walked inside.

Cher looked around, found a comfy white sofa, and guided the other two women toward it. They all sat down. "Now you guys can take off your blindfolds," A familiar voice said, but it wasn’t Ryan’s, nor was it Cher’s. Whoa…I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Jamie’s jaw nearly dropped.

After a few minutes, they were still in shock. Ryan had led them inside the Whose Line is it Anyway? Studio and into the cast lounge. Sitting in a corner next to a coffee table, were Chip Esten, Wayne Brady, and Brad Sherwood munching on some cookies. Greg, Colin, and Drew were playing pool, and Ryan soon joined them.

"Hey Cher, Jamie, Gail…Long time no see!" Colin and Drew approached the trio and they all started to converse.

Drew had given them extremely good seats, which were centered behind his desk. They realized that they would be on television every time the camera pointed to Drew sitting at his desk. The whole experience was literally mind blowing.

"Before I forget to mention them, there are a few VIP’s sitting behind me tonight." As Drew turned around from his seat, Cher and Jamie blushed a bright red color. "This is Cher, and this is Jamie. They have both been given guest spots on the Drew Carey Show, and will be appearing on a few episodes soon. Look out for their episodes, Wednesday nights at 9:00." Drew always looked for any opportunity to plug his shows. The audience laughed and clapped at the same time, as the two girls gave ‘Miss America style’ waves.

"And now, let’s move on to our final game of the evening..." Drew paused shortly to hear a loud "Awww!" from the audience. He went on, "But don’t worry, we’ll be back again soon." Greg yelled, "Awww!" from his red chair on stage.

"Hey! Knock it off." Drew said jokingly and threw a crumpled up sheet of paper at him. "As I was saying, our last game will be Three-headed Broadway Star." Since there was a three-way tie for winner that night, Drew stayed at his desk. He explained the instructions of the game to the audience and then stood up from his seat, and buttoned his coat as he usually did. He did not have to go far this time, as he went immediately to the row of people behind his desk and called for Cher to come down to the stage.

"WHAT?!" Cher nearly cried out before she took Drew’s hand. Shocked and ecstatic, she shyly walked down the stairs; her flowery skirt gracefully bounced up and down with her every step. She reached the stage and sat on the wooden stool, facing the audience, centered between Wayne, Ryan, and Chip.

Drew, who had already returned to his own chair by then, looked toward the audience. "I need a suggestion of a type of body part for the song."

Immediately, somebody in the far right corner of the audience shouted, "Elbows!"

Cracking up, Drew said, "Alright, elbows. You’re going to sing a love song to Cher about her elbows. Take it away." Oh jeez, Cher thought. My elbows?!

The credits had been read and every cast member that had participated that night was out on stage signing autographs. Everyone was exhausted including the girls, who were waiting patiently in the same seats that they had sat in throughout the whole taping. Gail was just starting to doze off when Jamie realized that the lines for autographs had steadily decreased and several of the players including Ryan had already retreated to their dressing rooms.

"Come on sleepy, wake up." Cher nudged Gail’s arm gently. Drew and Colin walked back out and met the girls. A puzzled Colin asked, "Where’s Ryan?"

"We thought he was with you guys," Jamie said with a hint of concern in her voice. The two men shook their heads.

Cher stood up, stretched, and yawned. "You know what, he’s probably still in his dressing room trying to get his tie on straight or something. I’ll go see if he needs help. I’ll be right back." She dashed to the door. Before Cher slipped out of the room, Drew called to her, "We’ll be out in the lobby."

A few minutes later, Cher reached Ryan’s dressing room. Knock, Knock. "Ryan? Hello? You in there?" No answer. She turned the knob. Locked. Why is the door locked? Did he leave? She put her ear to the door. She thought she heard a voice and a thud come from inside the room.

Nervous, she raced around a corner and found a custodian. "Excuse me sir, can you open my boyfriend’s door for me, please? He might be hurt."

"No problem, Ma’am." The custodian smiled, unlocked the door, and left to continue his work.

Cher bursted through the door. The room was well lit and all Ryan’s possessions were surprisingly neatly placed around the room. She heard Ryan’s voice in a low murmur and then heard a woman’s laugh. What the hell?! She jerked her head to the left and shockingly saw Ryan, flushed, lying on the sofa making out with a big-chested attractive woman about her age, with her top two blouse buttons open. She was lying on top of Ryan, who clearly couldn’t get enough of her. Neither of the two noticed Cher walk in. They kept on going at it.

She walked over to the couch, stomped and impatiently tapped her foot. "YOU CHEATING BASTARD! What the hell are you doing with this tramp? Huh?" Ryan’s jaw dropped at the site of his girlfriend, who had found out his "dirty secret." Cher yanked the woman off of Ryan. The woman just flashed her a big grin. Seeing this, Cher bent down and slapped her hard across the unknown woman’s cheek, leaving a dark red mark. She had that coming to her, Cher said to herself.

By that time, Ryan had jumped off the couch and approached Cher saying, "I can explain! I can explain! Wait!"

"Save your breath, ass-hole!" Cher said sharply, slapping his face as well. She was about to run out, but she looked up suddenly, and noticed a picture frame on a low table next to a ceramic lamp. Inside the frame was the picture that Christa had taken of Ryan and Cher on their first day together on the set. Christa had also given her a copy of the picture to take back home. She grabbed the picture frame and flung it to the ground sending shards of glass everywhere. Then she turned on her heel and flew out of the room not wanting to be near either of them any longer.

Sobbing, she ran down the hall, nearly tripping on her black heels. Heading into the lobby, she saw Colin, Jamie, Drew and Gail engaged in a conversation. Drew was the first to notice Cher sprinting towards them. He was the first to see the tears streaming down her face.

"What’s wrong, Cher?" Drew said deeply concerned. "Where’s Ryan?"

"I don’t give a shit. I really don’t. Probably running after me by now? No time to explain. Please, please, can we just go." She was hysterical.

"Go where?"

"Back to the hotel. I need to leave here fast. I need to go home. I’ll explain later, I promise." She was desperate.

He saw the panicked look in her eyes. "Alright, let’s go." Drew agreed, still wondering about what had happened to make her so upset.

As they ran towards the parking lot, Cher called back to Colin, Gail, and Jamie, "Please don’t worry about me. I really can’t explain right now. I don’t have the time or the strength." Three minutes later, Ryan came panting around the corner asking the three where Cher had gone. Their response was, "You just missed her. Ryan, what happened?"  There were bright red lipstick stains on his face and collar.

Colin simply said to Gail and Jamie after Ryan ran off, "Nicole. His ex."  The two woman shook their heads in dismay.

Fortunately, Drew had taken his car to the studio that night, so he did not have to bother calling his driver. When they had both hopped into the car and fastened their seatbelts, Drew turned the shiny silver key and drove out of the parking lot. Once they were on the road, he said again concerned, "What’s wrong? Did something happen between you and Ryan?" Cher had no choice but to explain.

After telling Drew what happened, Cher was still in tears. She tried to calm herself down. "Drew, I am so sorry to cut my stay short. I know I have a commitment to the show for the rest of the week, but I hope you understand. It’s just that I can’t stay here any longer. It would just be too uncomfortable for the both of us [she and Ryan]. I knew better than to get involved with him…We have should have gotten to know each other better before jumping head first into things…" She paused giving Drew time to respond.

"Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll explain to the others later. Go home and get some rest. You deserve it. What you don’t deserve though, is to be treated badly. Ryan’s one of my best friends…I’ll straighten him out." He pulled up to the hotel and stopped the car at the curb.

"Thanks for understanding." Cher leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. They exchanged numbers. "I’ll miss you.  Take care of my friends, would you?"

Drew nodded.  "Call me when you’re home, okay?" He wiped a tear from her face. Cher grabbed her purse and got out of the car. She waved to Drew as he drove away. Thanks for being my friend… She knew that Ryan would come after her quickly. She did not have much time to get packed.

Racing for the cash machine, she pulled out a credit card. She withdrew $1500 and went to her room. Cher had anticipated her departure, and had conveniently packed most of her belongings before that night. Packing up the rest of her things, Cher spotted her copy of the picture she had seen in Ryan’s dressing room and tore it into pieces. Almost ready to leave, she left $800 and a note on the night stand for Gail and Jamie. It read,

Turning on her heel, she grabbed her luggage and went downstairs. Spotting an all too familiar Chevy Tahoe parked curbside, Cher quickly hailed a taxi and jumped in.

"To the airport please.  I need to get there fast." She told the driver. She turned around from the backseat of the taxi and saw Ryan’s figure running toward the hotel’s entrance. He probably is going to look for me at my room…imagine his surprise when he finds out I’m gone.

Cher had checked in her luggage and was ready to board. Surprisingly, she was able to find a ticket for the 1:00 A.M. flight to the Honolulu International Airport. Cher walked up to the gate and showed the ticket-checker her boarding pass. Just as she was about to step onto the ramp that was connected to the plane, she heard her name being called.

She knew exactly who it was. Ryan. He had a pained expression on his face and was trying to get to her. Trying to get her to listen to him. Trying to make her stay. Don’t turn around, Cher. Keep walking. Cher was torn. She did not quite know what decision to make. Luckily, it seemed that fate had made the decision for her. A small crowd of fans had made a barrier between her and Ryan trying to get a glimpse of the celebrity and to get his autograph.

A single salty tear tumbled down Cher’s cheek as she stepped onto the plane. Goodbye, Ryan. I’m sorry it had to come to this.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She did not return home right away, for she knew that if she came home early, she’d have to make up some lame excuse to satisfy her family and friends – and she just was not up to the task. Cher picked up her bags from the carousel, and caught a taxi to Waikiki, where she checked herself into the Imperial Hotel. Unlike her other visits to the city, this trip did not include swimming and shopping. Instead, she chose to lock herself in her room, wallow in her misery, and reflect on her week.

Sunday morning came very quickly. Cher decided that it was time to go home, so she checked out of the hotel and stood curbside trying to hail a taxi. Ten minutes passed by before one pulled up and took her home.

As soon as she finished lugging her baggage up to her doorstep, she unlocked her door and observed that a single red long-stemmed rose was attached to the door’s intricate metal design. Ignoring the romantic gesture, she made her way into her bedroom with her suitcases. She would unpack...later. I need a pepsi. Before she could reach her kitchen, she had to pass through the living room. There sitting in her recliner was a very tall, lanky man. A man whom she had developed genuine feelings for over the past week. Ryan... It only took two seconds for the memories, good and bad, to come flooding back to her. How could he have betrayed me, and with her?

For a moment she just stood there, gasping in shock, not knowing what to think, or feel. Anger set in. Scowling, she demanded, "Who the hell let you in my house?!"

"I don’t blame you for being upset." Ryan said calmly, standing and touching her shoulder.

She jerked her body away from his grasp and demanded again, "Who let you in my house? Or did you just break in? That’s a felony, ya know." Picking up a nearby magazine, she flung it at him violently . To her disappointment, the magazine missed its target and landed flat onto the carpet.

"Your neighbor did, okay? I told her how desperate I was to talk to you and she believed me. Let me explain please." He slightly raised his voice.

She cried out and sunk to her knees. "Get out. You've already caused me too much pain.  Why won’t you leave?"

Broken and tired from staying up for two days waiting for her to come home, he tried to plead with her. "Hear me out and then I’ll leave. I promise. Just hear me out." Cher could feel herself breaking down.

"Fine, two minutes." She tried to keep her rage from again lashing out at him. She was hurt, betrayed and felt she had every right to be in this situation. But still, she listened.

With his emerald eyes brimming with tears, Ryan made one last effort to keep Cher in his life. "Sweetie, I am deeply sorry for my actions on Friday. My ex, Nicole and I had been in a long-term relationship. I caught her cheating on me a couple of months ago, ironically, and quickly dumped her. On Friday, she burst into my dressing room and demanded I take her back. She threw herself upon me. I swear."

"Yeah, right." Cher was growing increasingly more impatient with each of his hurtful words.

"I’m only human and I make mistakes. I realize now that she cheated on me for a reason. If Nicole and I were still together, I would have never gotten to know you."

Cher softened her expression and body language when he said, "I would never have fallen in love with you. It’s crazy to think I could have fallen for someone less than a week after we met, but it’s true. Can’t you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Ryan caressed her porcelain-like face with his right palm.

"I don’t know if I can Ryan, I just don’t know." She took hold of his left hand and then started to cry.

"Well, that’s better than a no." They helped each other up and Ryan pulled her into an embrace. "I know you trusted me and I did you wrong, but it won’t happen ever again. I won’t let it. I swear. Give me some time and I’ll prove it to you." Handing her his copy of Christa’s photo in a new frame, Ryan offered it as a sign of peace.

"Oh Ryan...thank you. You don’t know how much that photo means to me. You don’t know how much you mean to me." After staring at the picture for a few seconds, she placed it on a table.

Ryan flipped a switch and softly, somehow familiar music began to play. Kissing his weeping girlfriend’s forehead, Ryan Stiles rocked her gently in his long arms.

Cherilyn Matthews half-whispered, "Let’s start over." They were both clearly ready wipe the slate clean and construct a stronger relationship. Full of trust. Full of Love.

"I finally found someone, someone to share my life.
I finally found the one to be with every night.
‘Cause whatever I do, It’s just got to be you.
My life has just begun, I finally found someone."