Dom couldn't remember a time when he had been so angry with Hawke. He knew the younger man had his doubts about Rosa, hell the kid never trusted anybody easily but to run a check on her when Dom had explicitly asked him not to…just the thought of it made his blood boil anew. He wasn't sure what in Michael's conversation with her had tipped her off that the other man had checked her out but her deep upset at having her privacy so badly invaded was completely understandable. Michael hadn't even denied it! He glowered. When he got his hands on the spy…He brought the car to a stop outside the address Rosa had given him for her sister.

Dom's eyes widened. The beach house was the only building for miles. It was huge; a sprawl of white stone set into the rock of a steep cliff. He checked the address; he'd already made a couple of wrong turnings because he'd been so mad he'd missed the signs. It was the right address. He got out of the jeep. Rosa's rental car was parked up at the curb but he couldn't see any other vehicles. Where was her sister's car? He hesitated. Dom shook himself and firmed his lips. He was not going to let Hawke's paranoia get to him. He marched up to the door and knocked. The door swung open into a marble-tiled foyer. Rosa must have been so upset that she hadn't closed the door properly. Dom took a step inside.

'Rosa!' His voice echoed in the hall. He glanced around at the expensive antiques, the plush furnishing. He followed the hallway into a sunken open plan living space. A huge hearth took up one wall; an L-shaped cream couch littered with fluffy cushions provided a comfy seating area. Original art adorned the walls; large strong pieces that would have dominated the attention except for the fact that the whole far wall was glass and provided a spectacular view of the Pacific coastline. He could see the swells of the ocean breaking on the sandy beach below. A gentle breeze disturbed the filmy material hanging over the side of the window…no not a window, Dom realised, an open door. He made his way out.

The balcony was built into the rock of the cliff and only by a flimsy white wooden railing provided protection from the sheer drop to the beach below. He saw there was a set of steep steps carved into the granite just by the side of the house. Dom's eyes set on Rosa. She was standing with her back to him, her chestnut hair flying in the breeze around her.

'Rosa?' Dom took a couple of steps toward her. He took off his red cap and crumpled it in his hands nervously.

'Dominic.' She didn't turn around.

'Rosa, I swear to you, I had nothing to do with them checking into your background.'

'Tell me Dominic. What did they find?'

'Find?' Dom shook his head and took another couple of steps. 'I don't know. I didn't wait to find out. It doesn't matter to me.' He sighed and gestured at the straight line of her back. 'You have to understand String…he's just a little paranoid.'

Rosa turned around.

Dom's eyes smiled at her until they took in the gun in her hand that was pointed directly at him. 'Or maybe not.' He muttered. He raised his stunned eyes to hers. She was looking at him triumphantly.

'I knew you'd come.' She said.

'Rosa…why?' He asked gesturing at the gun.

'Why?' Rosa smiled cruelly and her words were no longer tinged with an Italian nuance. 'You killed my brother.'

'Your brother?'

'My name is Bening. Rosalind Bening.'

Dom made the connection immediately. His brow lowered ominously. 'So this whole time, all you've wanted is revenge?'

'You and Stringfellow Hawke killed the only man I loved, the only man who loved me.' Rosalind snarled.

'Your brother?' Dom said aghast.

'My brother.' Rosalind took a step toward him; he took a hasty step back. 'I had planned for this to be slow and painful. I wanted to destroy you in inches and it would have worked too. A woman can poison a relationship between two men quicker and faster than any other means.'

'You wanted to poison my relationship with String?' Dom asked trying to keep her talking whilst he thought of some way out that didn't involve him getting shot.

'He would have been lost without you and when I killed his lover, he would have been vulnerable and I would have destroyed him completely.'

'You're mad.' Dom said taking another step back.

Rosalind's brown eyes gleamed. 'You would have been so devastated Dominic seeing him die miserable and alone. You would have gone to your knees and begged me to put you out of your misery.'

He took a step back from the insanity in her eyes. His craggy face hardened into deep, grave lines. 'You're sick.'

'Only I didn't count on Hawke being so paranoid. I thought I would have more time but I underestimated him.' She laughed cruelly. 'Something I didn't do with you. You, I played just right. You were falling in love with little Rosa, weren't you Dominic?'

'I fell in love with an illusion.' Dom bit out.

'And what's even funnier, Dominic, is that you really thought Rosa loved you.' She taunted him. 'You. A pathetic lonely old man with nothing but old stories and Hawke, a man who doesn't even need you anymore.'

Dom stilled. 'That's enough.'

'Yes. It's enough.' Rosalind smiled. 'Your death will be enough to destroy Hawke and my betrayal…well, I see it's done its job.' She straightened her arm, the gun steady in her hand as she aimed for Dom's heart.

Dom, seeing her arm move, seeing her grip tighten on the pistol, knew that his life would be over within a second if he didn't do something. He did the only thing that occurred to him; he launched himself over the side of the railing and onto the rock below, the bullet zipping so close to him that he could feel the heat of it against his cheek. He moved over the slippery surface trying for a controlled descent. Another bullet hit the rock next to him. He flinched and his footing went immediately. He slipped down the cliff face. His toes hit a small ledge mid-way and he managed to stop the momentum of his fall, hugging the wall tightly. His eyes looked down at the sheer drop.

'Mamma mia.' He muttered.

A bullet hit the wall next to his face and he flinched. His eyes searched for Rosalind and he found her; she was half-way down the steps, level with him, and the gun steady in her outstretched arm. He had nowhere to go….

Airwolf howled. Dom turned his head at the rush of wind as she flew between him and Rosalind, protecting him, her rotors dangerously close to the rock. Bullet after bullet ricocheted off her blunt nose until Rosalind screamed and threw her gun at the machine. She spread her arms and yelled for Hawke to shoot. Dom closed his eyes. He didn't want to see her death.

His eyes jerked open at the sound of footsteps racing across the patio and down the steps.

'Rosalind!' A woman's voice called.

Rosalind whirled and started running down the steep staircase. She had only gone a couple of steps when she slipped...her body fell in slow motion, tumbling down to lie still at the bottom. Dom looked away and pressed himself into the rock. It was over. It was all over.