Tiger-Lily headed toward the exit, ready to make her escape while the other bots were busy. She really did not want to have to deal with one bot in particular. One large shoulder padded, overly by-the-book, arrogant commander to be precise. Team Prime did not need her here anyway, not with all things quiet on the Decepticon front for the time being. Reaching the exit to the large hanger that sheltered the Autobot base, she breathed a sigh of relief at being able to leave unnoticed and was really looking forward to getting back to the peace and solitude that she had gotten use to these last several decacycles.

"Leaving again?" a familiar voice said from behind her and Tiger winced before turning to face the speaker.

Wheeljack strode toward her with an angry look on his face.

"You weren't even going to say goodbye this time, were you?" he asked, stopping in front of her.

"I don't belong here, Jack," Tiger replied, taking a step back when Wheeljack stepped too close.

"Really," he retorted with a slight sneer, "Is that your excuse this time?"

Tiger clenched her jaw in anger at his tone.

"You know the reason I won't stay, Jack," she snarled back, "It's not just an excuse!"

"Ah, riiiight," Wheeljack replied in a slightly mocking tone, "Ultra Magnus makes a pretty convenient scapegoat, don't you think?"

"Convenient!" Tiger snapped back, a growl of warning deep in her tone, "I am not using him as a scapegoat! You know what he did!"

"Yeah, He screwed up, made a bad call, and as a result you and Star were put in harm's way," he snapped back, taking a step closer, "Well you know what, that's what happens when you're in command. Sometimes you make a bad call and good people get hurt."

Tiger sidestepped Wheeljack and circled around behind him, not wanting to let him back her up to the door, causing him to turn around to keep her in his eyeline.

"A bad call?! Is that how you see it?!" Tiger snarled in anger, almost not believing what she was hearing, "Star and I almost died! And since when have you been so buddy-buddy with commander shoulder pads that you would come to his defense!?"

"Since you've been using his one mistake as a cover for what you are really afraid of!" he retorted.

"Afraid!" Tiger snapped, her voice rising in pitch, "What do I have to be afraid of?"

"You're afraid of letting anyone too close, they might get under that ironclad hide of yours and discover that you actually have a spark under there," he sneered, "You might actually stop being selfish and wind up caring for someone."

"I am not selfish or afraid!" she growled, "I do care for people, just because I prefer to be alone doesn't…"

"No, you don't," Wheeljack cut her off, "You're too afraid of getting hurt again to care for anyone or let them care for you in that matter. You push them away or run away first!"

"I don't know what you are talking about," she snarled dangerously, "But I have had enough, get out of my way."

"NO!" he replied heatedly, "I have let you walk out of my life without a fight too many times without telling you the truth because of my pride, but not this time!"

"Really Wheeljack," Tiger-Lily mocked, hands on her hips, every bit of her body language exuding anger and frustration, "What's the truth?"

"The truth is that I love you," he yelled back at her, "But you're too stubborn to see it!"

Tiger-Lily froze, optics wide and jaw dropped at his statement. The silence lasted for a several, agonizing, cycles before Wheeljack gave a disgusted snort.

"You can't say it back, can you?" he snarled.

Tiger's jaw moved but no words came out as what felt like a large hand closed her throat in upon itself, as true fear silenced her.

"It's like I said," Wheeljack scoffed, "You're afraid!"

With that said he stomped off back deeper into the base leaving a stunned Tiger-Lily swamped in an ocean of her own emotions with no way out.