The soft muted sounds of Cam talking gradually filtered into her dreams. He was always very animated in the morning and today was no different. The scent of coffee touched her nose, as well as sausage and something sweet. Maybe Grams was cooking breakfast, she always like to come over on Saturdays to pick up Cam and take him to the park.Perhaps she would have just a few minutes more before she needed to shower for work.

A burst of giggles, mixed in with a husky chuckle had Liz cracking open a blurry eye.

"Who?" her groggy voice asked, then she covered her face to block the sun coming through the tiny windows. She glanced around the sparse but richly decorated room, realizing immediately that this wasn't her bedroom back at the tiny apartment in Port Charles.

Then she remembered last night and shot up on the bed.

Nervous, she pushed the hair off her face, moaning when she thought of what she must look like. She was tucked into a bed, wearing only a black shirt that rose up on her hips. Images scattered quickly like a broken strip of film through her mind. Jason. Rushing from the gallery. Making the insane decision to leave with him. Climbing aboard the private jet. Putting Cam down to rest and Jason offering this bedroom for her to sleep as well as the shirt she had on.

"I must be crazy," she murmured, tilting her head to the side to listen to even more giggles from her son. What Jason must think of her. No, he wasn't Jason anymore. He was Roman and she found the name easily slipped from her lips. Still, she had impinged on their friendship and practically begged to leave with him. All she knew was that in that moment, she didn't wantit to be the last time she ever saw him.

He had risked so much to bring that painting to her and then he would have walked right back out of her life as if he had never been there. And the painful desolation that thought brought her had been unacceptable. A hastily scribbled note left on the dresser in her apartment was all the warning she gave that she was leaving.

Taking only a moment to shove some things in a bag for herself and her son, she rushed back into the living room where Roman stood holding her sleeping son in his arms. She would call as soon as she arrived in Venice so that Grams wouldn't worry, but Liz found she couldn't regret her choice. He didn't ask if she wanted to change her mind until they were on the plane and that was just the same as the man she knew before.

Before the madness of Sonny and Emily.

Slipping from the bed, she stopped in the small bathroom to brush her teeth and make some semblance of the mess of her hair, then padded out to find that coffee that smelled so appealing.

Cameron and Roman were sitting at a small table eating breakfast. An empty glass sat next to her son's plate and a large mug of coffee sat next to his. There was the sausage she smelled. The sweet were huge gooey cinnamon rolls that Cam would soon have all over his shirt. They both looked up at her, her son with his usual sweet smile and Roman, with a look of curiosity. She figured those blue eyes would always affect her that way.

"Good morning?"

"Yeah, it's morning still," he answered her question, "Cam woke up and convinced me that breakfast was a good idea."

"I even had milk and everything," Cam assured her, making her smile. Their ease with each other didn't surprise her. Camknew that she would leave him with someone who couldn't be trusted.A few moments with Jason were all her son would need to realize that he was a good man. Jason was a man made to be a father. She figured that didn't change simply because his name had.

"Good," she nodded, seeing the remains of a milk mustache around his upper lip. He stabbed eagerly into the roll and pulled off a portion, which he promptly shoved into his mouth. Seven year olds never ceased to surprise her. "Small bites Cam," she reminded him and he nodded around the mouth full. He was a mixture of her and Zander, his father who had died without ever knowing him, but yet his own little person and that was good.

Was she crazy dragging her son away from everything he knew?

"We'll stop in Lisbon, Spain to refuel in two hours," Roman informed her softly and she wondered what he must have seen in her face. Her confusion. Her doubts. His expression was still, waiting, but she saw that hopeful light in his eyes that he couldn't quite hide. She couldn't regret coming with him, she only hoped that he wasn't regretting his decision to allow her to come along.

"I," she began, then stopped not knowing how to continue.

He rose from his seat, dressed simply in a pair of dark jeans and a dark grey v-necked shirt, and she wondered when he had the chance to change. Regretted missing it, she thought with a smile.

"I'm going to speak to your mother for a minute okay Cam?"

Cam nodded quickly, still very occupied with his treat but she felt his eyes follow them as they walked to the back of the small galley. She gave him a quick wink letting him know that everything was fine, then pulled the shutter so that they would have some privacy. "Thank you for sitting with him when he woke up."

Roman shrugged, "You looked like you needed to sleep."

It was remarkably the most rested she felt in a long while. When she wasn't rushing from work to Cam to home, there was hardly any time for sleep. "I feel like I'm burdening you. You didn't go to that gallery and expect to leave with two extra passengers on your way back to Italy. I didn't even think that you might not want to drag me along, not only that but there's Cameron too. I didn't think Roman, I'm sorry. If you want to put us on a flight back to Port Charles when we land, I won't blame you."

Without warning, he lowered his head and placed his mouth on hers.

The kiss dropped the pit of her stomach out and into a wild swirl. She had kissed him before and then there had been hunger, the emotion had frightened her because it was so new and different than any other she had ever experienced. Not now, no not now. The press of a cabinet bit into her back until he drew her into his arms. His scent surrounded her, warm and heady as she clenched at his shirt, then slid her hands up the muscled planes of his chest to circle his neck.

Fingers strong and sure, threaded through her hair to cup her face into his hand. He tilted her head, fusing them deeper into the kiss, sucking softly on her lower lips. The touch of his mouth was a delicious sensation, one she wanted to savor. One she never wanted to end. Parting her lips, his tongue explored the recesses of her mouth, tangled briefly with hers, lingering, savoring leaving her aching with need. She pushed closer to meet the demand of his mouth and didn't bother to hold back her whimper of pleasure.

When he raised his mouth from hers, they both were slightly breathless.Gazing into her eyes, he couldn't hide his feelings from her. They were potent, making her body feel amorous and heavy with an ache that she hadn't felt in so long. And they were slightly unsure, just like she was. "You're the first person to call me Roman and it feels okay," he murmured against her lips. "I want you with me Elizabeth."

She felt her already racing pulse leap with excitement. His husky voice,thick with desire, made her tingle. It made her feel good, wanted, not just because she was Mom, Nurse Webber, or Liz who everyone relied on to be supportive and kind, but because she was a woman. Elizabeth was a woman who needed this man's touch. "I want to be with you Roman."

"Then let's not think about the rest for a while. While the plane is refueling, we'll take a few hours, go see the city with Cam. Afterwards, we'll fly into Venice and you'll stay with me for a few days. You don't have to make any major decisions. Just be with me for the moment."

"Is it okay if I call my grandmother, I don't want her to worry about us."

He nodded once, "Yeah, but you have to remember."

"Roman Jonas," she broke in with a smile. "I'll remember."

"It makes no sense," Emily paced her small office, looking from her assistant Jean, to Sam who sat in the chair opposite her desk. "Are you sure Sam?"

"Yes, I'm sure Emily. That painting sat in Jason's closet up until the day he left and he told me that Liz painted it." Her voice was slightly strained and Emily hated bringing this subject up. It had to be painful for Sam. She didn't doubt that Sam had loved Jason before he tried to ruin all of their lives five years ago. Choosing to remain in Port Charles and not run off with him was probably the hardest decision she had ever made.

Lookhow it turned out for her though. She had a mother, a husband and a daughter. She had a career and wasn't always sitting in that penthouse waiting for Jason to issue some command and she was happy. What kind of life could she have had on the run all these years?

The only reason she brought it up now, was because of that frantic phone call she received from Audrey Hardy claiming that Liz had packed a bag, taken Cameron, and left Port Charles with no warning. No, she had no idea Liz was thinking of leaving town. No, she had no idea who Liz left with. As far as she knew, Liz was happy and content. Sure, she and Lucky had divorced, butLiz was the one who did that.

It all started when Lucky found out that she went to Jason during all that Manny Ruiz horror to protect him. Emily couldn't blame Lucky for his anger. That was part of Jason's problem, always thinking he knew what was right for everyone else. The fact that he was right about Sonny was something she refused to think about now.

The past five years had been fraught with tension and arguments. The other women, the possessive attitude, it had all occurred just like Jason said it would. Only she had held on through it all, determined to prove to everyone that she loved Sonny and Sonny loved her. They belonged together.

Emily glanced up at her assistant, "And you said the canvas was delivered by courier?"

"Yes," she nodded eagerly, and Emily could sense her fear. The woman hadn't done anything wrong, but it was good to keep the employees on edge and wondering. That was a lesson she learned from her husband. "I received a call from an administrative assistant with a Jonas Corp, from Venice. The arrangements for the painting were simple and were to remain anonymous. The ownership papers were genuine. It's apowerful piece and I had no reason to reject it."

"You didn't ask how a patron in Italy had heard about my gallery opening here in Port Charles New York."

"No ma'am." She shook her head quickly, "We were running out of time and still several paintings short, so I just accepted the contribution, especially since the owner said that we didn't have to return it but could add it to our collection."

It had been hell convincing people to donate artwork to the gallery with Sonny's name on it. So she could understand Jean's reasoning, to a point. "This Jonas Corp, is located in Venice you said?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Jason always said that he liked Italy, maybe he works for this company and he read about the opening. It's the only thing that makes sense." Sam offered. "I could always look into it if you want."

Emily wasn't fooled one bit, Sam's generous offer had as much to do with helping her as finding Jason for herself. At least Emily could discover if her best friend had left town with her backstabbing brother. "Sure," she shrugged, "You and Lucky can look into it, if you want." She would wait to tell Sonny about Jason's possible re-emergence until Sam offered her concrete evidence. He would take it as a direct assault. The last thing she wanted was Sonny on the warpath again.