A/N: I will be changing settings pretty dramatically in the middle of this story. I also thought I should mention that I'll be changing time periods pretty frequently too. The modern day setting for this story is Charmed mid-Season Six, and the flashback that most of the story is set in is just after the ending of Wolf Lake. So, in Charmed terms, the flashback sequence is about mid-Season Three, before Prue dies.

Disclaimer: Deirdre Pierson is my original character, as is her mother, Gloria. If anyone wants to use either of them, please ask me first. I will also have another original main character later on in the story. Other than that, I own nothing here. So, enjoy my ramblings.

Chapter 1

San Francisco, California 2001

Deirdre Pierson waited silently on the front stoop of the house she'd grown up in. She felt a surreal calm that she didn't quite understand, considering her mother had died just two days before. The large covered birdcage at her feet russled a bit, as if to comfort the seventeen year old. Deirdre smiled a bit. At least she wasn't totally alone in the world.

The judge had ruled that until her father could be reached, Deirdre was to stay with her only living blood relatives in the state. She knew that her cousins were a bit reluctant to take her in. The Halliwell sisters really didn't have much room for an extra person even though they owned a pretty large Manor left to them by her Gramms. *This would all be so much easier if they just let me stay in my own house* she thought. After all, Deirdre didn't need to go to school or anything. She'd passed the GED at 15, knew five languages fluently, and several semi-fluently.

Honestly, Deirdre was fully capable of taking care of herself. Even her Dad thought so. In truth, Deirdre knew exactly where her adoptive father/ Watcher was. She had called him in Paris the day her mother was murdered. He had agreed to let her stay in San Fransisco in order to do her job as the Slayer. The teenager hadn't counted on being yanked out of her home by the local judicial system. Now she was sitting, waiting to be picked up by one of her cousins, because evidently, they didn't feel comfortable with her riding her motorcycle over to their house.

As if on cue, a car rolled up into her driveway. A woman with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes stepped out. She smiled. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hey, Prue." Deirdre responded, half-heartedly. She picked up the cage while Prue took her suitcase and put it in the car.

"Is this all you're bringing?" Prue asked softly. Deirdre nodded. The older woman smiled. "And who's this?" she asked, indicating the cage.

"That's Horus, my pet bird." Deirdre replied, putting the cage in the back seat of the car before getting in the passenger seat. Prue got in the driver's side, and they were off across town to Halliwell Manor.

Back at the Manor, Phoebe and Piper were readying everything for their cousin's arrival. Phoebe had agreed to room with Deedee, as she affectionately called the girl, for the duration of her stay. She had moved a spare mattress down from the attic and was making room in the upstairs bathroom for an extra person. Piper was downstairs cooking up a storm. Her husband Leo materialized behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, making her jump. "God! Don't do that!"

The Whitelighter just smiled softly. "So, how go the preparations?"

Piper grunted irratably. She fidgeted with some fresh basil, trying to keep her hands busy so as not to blow up anything. "What are we doing? We don't have room for another person! You just moved in!"

Leo rubbed her shoulders, trying to calm his wife. "Calm down, Piper."

"I know... I know she's family and I know she needs us. But what are we gonna do Leo? It's bad enough trying to keep our secret from the neighbors, but someone in our own house? This is just too much! And...you know...where the hell is her step-father? What is he doing gallavanting around Europe when his daughter needs him?"

"Honey, you're ranting. Now, just take a deep breath and calm down." Leo murmered soothingly. "Prue is going to be back with Deirdre any minute, and this is not the kind of behavior that goes over well with the grieving."

Just then they heard Prue's car horn warning Piper and Phoebe that they were coming in. Phoebe rushed down the stairs, eager to see her new roomie. She almost ran head-long into her boyfriend as he appeared before her on the stair-landing. He chuckled a bit as she tried to regain her balance. "What's your rush?"

"Cole! Be careful! I told you my cousin's coming here to live with us. She is coming up the driveway as we speak, and she doesn't know anything about us being you-know-whats. That means from now on, you need to use the door." Cole sneered a bit and followed Phoebe down the stairs to greet the girl now standing in the entryway.

Deirdre Pierson could be considered quite lovely when it came down to it. Tall for her age, the girl had inherited her long legs from Gloria, who had made a small fortune as a ballet dancer. Deirdre was muscular and lithe, with piercing green eyes. But her natural beauty was masked by her chosen style of dress. The teenager looked to be the essence of punk rock. She wore knee-high black, combat boots with steal toes and green fatigue pants. Her chestnut colored hair was cut short, spiked, streaked with platinum, and pulled away from her face with a dark green bandana. She'd opted for a black Ramones t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and had topped off the whole ensemble with a dark green duster jacket with the insignia of a wolf on the back.

Phoebe ran up to her cousin and threw her arms around the girl. "Heya roomie! How are you?"

"Quickly developing an oxygen issue." Deirdre coughed out, prompting the older woman to release her. "It's good to see you too, Phoebe."

After a long awkward silence, Prue decided she'd had enough. "Okay, it looks like some introductions are in order. Piper, why don't you start?"

"Oh, well, Leo, this is Deirdre. Deirdre, this is my husband Leo." Piper said, gesturing to the man beside her. Leo held out his hand to the girl. "It's very nice to meet you."

The teenager gently sent down the birdcage she was still holding in order to shake the man's hand. "Nice to meet you too. My Mom...she told me Piper had gotten married. I'm sorry I haven't visited lately."

Leo nodded and there was another awkward silence before Phoebe grabbed Cole's arm and dragged him forward. "And this is my man. Cole, Deedee. Deedee, Cole"

As they wordlessly shook hands, the tension between the new acquiantances shot through the roof. They sized each other up for a full minute before letting go of each other's hands. Cole turned back around to Phoebe, she mouthed the words "be nice" prompting him to turn back to the girl and lean down to help her with her luggage. "Here let me get that for you."

Cole reached for the bird cage at the same time Deirdre did. "No, that's okay. I've got it."

"It looks heavy. I can take it upstairs for you." Cole replied, wrenching the cage away from Deirdre. With this action, the cage tipped over, tumbling across the floor. A very agitated, very large bird of prey flew out from under the cage's covering and straight into his face. The bird attacked the former-demon momentarily and then flew out of the parlor.

"What the hell is that?!" Piper shrieked mimicking the shock of all the adults in the room.

"Great!" Deirdre cried. "This is all I need!" She removed a heavy leather glove from her pocket and rushed into the living room, trailing the rest of the Manor's occupants behind her. She put it on, and rounded the couch quickly, whistling to the bird. The falcon obeyed, alighting on the glove. "It's ok, Horus. You're okay now."

"Whoa, hello!" Phoebe yelled. "What is that?"

"It's a falcon. What does it look like?" Deirdre replied, annoyed. "And he's pretty upset now, thanks to your boyfriend."

Cole, wiping the blood from a scratch on his face, looked about to comment before Prue cut him off. "I think what she means is, what is a falcon doing in the house? Aren't they illegal to keep as pets?"

"I was going to set up his house in the garden if that's ok with you guys. I have special permission from the state to keep him." Deirdre replied, petting the bird.

The sisters shared a consulting glance before Piper replied. "Ok, but he does not get into this house. Got it?"

"Got it." Deirdre nodded. With that, the group settled in to have dinner. Supper came off without a hitch but the tension in the house hadn't abated much. Piper was careful to seat Deirdre and Cole as far away from each other as possible. She sensed something malevolent being passed between them. Maybe the girl was able to sense that Cole was a demon. *Wouldn't that be a kick in the pants.* she thought.

After dinner, Phoebe said goodbye to her beau. Giving him a kiss, she reiterated to him to "Be nice." Deirdre helped Piper clean the dishes and got Horus sitauted in his cage. She left the door to the enclosure slightly ajar and went up to unpack. Prue made sure the attic was all locked up 'just in case.' Then, it was time for the occupants of Halliwell Manor to get ready for bed.

That night, Phoebe was awoken out of one of the few deep sleeps she'd managed to achieve in weeks by a russling in the darkness. She pretended to be asleep as she watched the silohette of her cousin move around the room. From what the older woman could make out, Deirdre was fully dressed and donning her coat. The teenager paused for a second, trying to determine if Phoebe was awake. The witch was too good at playing opposum, though. Deirdre finished dressing and grabbed her falconer's glove off the night stand. She then opened the bedroom window and, to Phoebe's shock, jumped out landing softly on the ground outside, two stories below.

As soon as she was sure her cousin was far enough away, Phoebe ventured to look out the window. Deirdre was wheeling her motorcycle down the driveway, having had it delivered just after dinner. She'd promised only to ride it with the permission of her cousins. Horus, who had been perched on one of the tree branches, flew down and glided through the air, trailing after his mistress.

Phoebe sat for a while, trying to decide whether or not to wake her sisters. Eventually, she decided to let the incident go. After all, Deedee had been through a tragedy, she was entitled to a little rebellion. Besides, it wasn't like Phoebe herself had never snuck out of that very room as a girl.