Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Relocation

Doctor Carlisle Cullen was having a bad day. A bad week even, and that was something coming from a vampire. He was being overworked for one and there was a pressing problem at home. He rested his head on the pile of notes that had accumulated on his desk for the next morning's surgery. His sixth surgery since the beginning of the month and it was only July.

Sure, the surgeries were fairly routine, but this was different. This surgery was slightly more complicated as it was for one of the younger werewolves of Sam's pack—Collin or Brady, he wasn't able to recall at the moment. And this was a monumental thing to a vampire who was supposedly to have perfect recall. He was to work alone in this surgery as the other doctors could not know of the wolves' existence and there would be no interns, residents or any kind of assistant. And after all, it was just a routine surgery. No matter.

The second, more dangerous matter was the more pressing one as well. His family had stayed in Forks for far too long. Far too long to be considered smart. Bella and Edward decided to stay in Forks for Charlie's sake and the family wanted to stay together after such a terrifying ordeal with the Volturi, five years ago. He still couldn't think of it without a shudder. But things were getting harder and harder to explain now. He was physically twenty-three and trying to pass off as thirty-eight. People were starting to talk.

Carlisle sighed. He hated the thought of leaving Forks. It was so perfect. He could walk about during the day—almost like a human. And everything was situated so perfectly.

They would have to relocate and soon. Edward and Bella must come too. People had noticed their never-aging faces as well. They would have to leave. Carlisle sighed again. Bella would have to say goodbye to Charlie, at least for now. She would be so sad at leaving her father. She was the only one in the house who could still keep in touch with her father after she was made into a vampire. We all envied her. And now she would have to leave him. So would Renesmee.

Carlisle sat up in his chair and looked around the small office the hospital had deigned to assign him. It was small, with poor lighting, with sickly off-white walls, metal cabinets filled with files and an old computer that sat on his plywood desk. Forks Hospital was small, cheap and low-tech. And dangerously understaffed. There were only three other doctors here. They were understaffed as it were. He hated to leave them so understaffed but he did not have a choice. To stay would risk people discovering the truth about him and his family, and if that were to happen, the Volturi would come back. If the Volturi came back again it would mean a fight, a real one this time. They would be prepared for Bella this time. Carlisle was sure that the Volturi already had numerous strategies ready. His family wouldn't be able to talk their way out of this one.

There was Charlie to think of for one and Jacob Black. Charlie loved his daughter and spoiled Nessie. Charlie still didn't trust them enough to stay. He asked every time he left the house if they would still be there and they had always answered yes. The next time they asked they would have to say no. Charlie had every right to not trust them because he knew they would have to leave.

Jacob. He was going to be a problem. He wouldn't take their leaving well either and he could not come alone. His father, Billy was getting old. Billy Black needed Jacob, and he didn't have that many years either. He said that he was perfectly fine, but his body betrayed him. Jacob should spend as much time as he could with his father for he too, will pass on. Jacob had not aged unlike Billy. He looked the same as he did five years ago. He remained twenty-five physically, his hair was shorter now. But he was still huge, imposing and loved Nessie to death. Yes, young Jacob must be considered as well. He was as much as family as Alice or Emmett.

He would have to talk with Esme. His face softened when he thought of his wife. Bless that woman; she was never at a loss. Yes, he would have to speak with her. He thought that she already suspected if she didn't already know. She would have a list of properties that they hadn't lived in for awhile.

Esme could draw up lists of possible prospects at a new life. They could go back to Appalachia. Surely no one would remember them; they hadn't been back there since they acquired Emmett into their family in 1935. It was a possibility; he would remember to mention it to his mate. Rochester was another possibility. They could see Rosalie's old hometown. They could—no. Rose didn't want to see her old home; to see what she almost had. Best leave Rochester a wide berth. Chicago, where Carlisle had his first son. Edward could go visit his parents' old estate and see his old home, to honor his birth parents that way. There would be no cemetery visits. All that had succumbed to the Spanish influenza were cremated, in hopes of staying the disease. No, that didn't sound too appealing. Biloxi, where Alice was made. She could further track her past there and get to know her niece, from a distance at least. Perhaps, but best leave it to Esme.

Somewhere new then? Maybe. It was certainly a possibility. He wanted to stay in North America for sure. Carlisle wanted to stay close enough to Charlie for Bella and Nessie's sakes. After all, they wouldn't want to stray to far from him. Nessie would want to see Jacob as well, and it would be hard for the lad to go without his imprint.

Canada sounded pretty good. Close enough to Forks, but far enough that no one would have heard of Dr. Carlisle Cullen. A whole new country together with a brand new start would be just what the family needed. And it was Canada, home of free health care. Unlike the U.S., he wouldn't have to turn any one away because they didn't have insurance. Not that he didn't perform the procedures anyway; it was just nice that he wouldn't have to refuse.

His children could go to school together. Sure, that would take some explaining but they would all be together. Nessie could go to school for once like a normal child. Her growth rate had slowed down tremendously. Nahuel said he reached maturity around seven years after he was born. The dhamphirs had accelerated growth rates like the pack. Like a werewolf, she had 24 chromosomes. If she were anything like Leah Clearwater, she would be at the physical age of twenty when she stopped growing. He would have to thank Leah again for allowing him to do his tests on her.

His granddaughter physically looked fifteen, and that was the proper age for a high school freshman. Her parent, aunts and uncles would be able to look after her. Or maybe that wouldn't be the best idea. It might be a better idea to let Nessie go to school by herself and make her own mistakes. Who would want to go to high school with their parents? Carlisle was sure that overprotective Edward would have something to say. They would have to talk about that. He laughed. How was he to explain all this?

He would ask Alice on where she could see their future home. Mmm…that was a good plan; a solid course of action. It was so nice to have someone who could see the future, however subjectively.

"Dr. Cullen, paging Dr. Cullen, please report immediately to Emergency Room 3. Repeating: Emergency Room 3."

"Oh dear, seem like someone has gotten hurt," Dr. Cullen mused to himself as he quickly, on human standards anyway, left his office.

*dhamphir- a half vampire- half human