Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, and Esme moved to Portland about 5 years after Bella turned. People were beginning to notice that they were not aging. Bella and Edward moved to Alaska so that Bella could go to school there; Rosalie and Emmet were traveling the world. Rosalie had really wanted to travel and she wanted to visit her parents' graves. Carlisle had gotten a job at a large hospital but he often worked nights, which is when he had first met Elizabeth. Esme was finding much enjoyment in resorting old houses in Portland. Alice and Jasper were going to college in Portland; Alice was going for fashion and Jasper was going for engineering.
Carlisle often found himself thinking about the girl in the emergency room, the one named Elizabeth Lincoln. She was still in the hospital but recovering. A social worker was working on where she was going to live, with whom. She did not have any immediate family; her grandparents were dead, her mother was dead, her father abusive and currently awaiting trial. No aunts or uncles, no siblings. She was alone in the world. And the more Carlisle thought about it, the more he wanted her to come live with his family.
While he was working, he thought of the first time she talked to him. She had refused to talk to any of the other male nurses and doctors and said few words to the female nurses and doctors. Elizabeth spoke the most to her social worker, Marie, the most so that Elizabeth could be placed in a foster home. She first spoke to Carlisle about a week after she arrived at the hospital. Elizabeth had looked at him with her bright blue eyes and asked, "What's your name?" He replied "Doctor Carlisle Cullen. What's yours?" She stared at him for a few minutes watching him change her IV bags and then replied "You already know that." "I do, I was asking to be polite." Elizabeth smiled and Carlisle realized in that moment that he had never seen her smile. After another few moments, she said, "You know, you're the only one to be truly honest with me. " "What do you mean?" Carlisle asked. But she said nothing more.
It had been 3 days since that conversation with Elizabeth and she had a few conversations with him. Mostly about trivial things, what she was watching on the television, what books she wanted to read. Occasionally, however, she mentioned, how much she wanted to have a foster dad like him. She never elaborated when Carlisle pressed her for more information. He went on his lunch break thinking how impossible it was for him to bring her home. How could a human girl come live with a household of vampires and truly be safe? He was reminded of everything the family had gone through when Bella and Edward fell in love; how much danger Bella had been in before she became a vampire. How could he do that to another girl? Especially one so young, one that seemed so broken. That is when the social worker on Elizabeth's case entered the room and sat across from him and said "hello Carlisle." Well, hello Marie" he replied with a soft smile, "What brings you to me? Something having to do with Miss Lincoln's care I pursue?" "Actually, yes", Marie smiled, "what I am about to ask you is quite unconventional, but I and the board have decided that you would be the best person for Elisabeth to come live with. She seems to trust you, well as much as she can trust any grown male at this point in time. We've heard nothing but good things about you and your family. Would you please consider this?" Carlisle was in awe. He didn't know what to say, he'd love to of course, but what of her safety, what if the Voulturi found out? But despite all of those concerns he found himself saying "I'd love too. I need to talk it over with my wife and children first." Marie smiled and said, "Of course, take as much time as you need. We would like to know before she leaves the hospital but from the reports I've read, that won't be happening for a week or so due to her injuries."