So, exams are over, sorry I have not updated for a while; I lost the momentum on this story. This is the last chapter and I apologise for the rubbish ending. If there are any major plot lines that you think I have not tied up then I may tag another chapter on the end of this I may not- it depends how long the line is.

"Hey Trance." Trance looked up from her flowers and smiled softly at the man who had just entered. She was sat on the floor, surrounded by masses of plant life. Her golden body making the ruby red petals, the purple buds and the rich green leaves paled in comparison to the aura she seemed to emit. Harper sat down heavily among the bouquets adorning the spacious botany room. The smells hit Harper like a doped-up Magog on the end of swing rope.

Not the way he would usually describe something to himself, Harper concluded that the pungent aroma of the exotic plants must have been wreaking havoc with his head.

"I see you've started up the plant collection again, who knew Andromeda being with no air for so long on Seefra would result in all your plants dying. It's shocking." Teased Harper, as he wrinkled up his nose in a futile attempt not to sneeze.

"Bless you." Trance sang, her voice had back the childish and carefree quality Harper had adored. The voice he had not heard in years and one he had not thought he would hear again.

She must be faking it.

"I haven't even sneezed yet Trance!" The tickle in his nose grew itchier.

"You will." Trance replied, still in her singsong way. "The smell and pollen of these plants combined is very, very strong. You will sneeze eventually."

He did.

"I told you."

Harper smiled sarcastically, wondering when she would ask why he was actually here. However, Trance just continued to dig holes and lower her plants into the fertile soil. Looks like he would have to jump in first.

"So Trance, with the whole Dean thing being over and all... Do you have the perfect future back?" He had an expectant look on his face. "Because, well I just saw Beka and Dylan curled up outside her quarters looking very comfy. Dean is dead, and with it- hopefully- Beka's DNA. Everything is bright again!"

He looked and Trance, the smile still fixed on his face. It fell when he saw that Trance had stopped, her trowel was raised an inch from the soil, it was as if she was frozen. The first time she spoke Harper barely heard her, barely saw her lips move- all he saw was a single tear.

"No, I still don't have it."

Harper felt a cold chill run through his body; this was not good.

Trance slowly continued. Her voice barely more than a whisper and definitely not shiny, childlike or happy now

"I thought it was to do with the Dean thing, the fact Beka and Dylan were not where they were meant to be- but now they are. They are right on track and still I cannot find it... I'm scared Harper, what if that means that we'll never get the perfect future? What if it's gone for good? There are so many other good futures out there, I can see them just out of reach but not the perfect possible one. It's vanished."

The room was silent, Trance still had not moved- her brightness had faded and her face looked dull. Harper awkwardly patted her on the shoulder as he thought what he could possibly say next to make this information even slightly more bearable.

"How good are the other futures?" Asked Harper as quietly as Trance had been before.

She sighed and turned to look at her best friend.

She saw happiness, loyalty and pride. She saw forgiveness. She saw laughter, Rhade sharing stories of his great captain with whom he shared and adventure. She saw love, Beka and Dylan's- one that would always grow, she saw their children. Their grandchildren. So many branches stemming off two people. She saw success- Andromeda continuing to drive back the night with Rommie at the helm. Doyle following closely behind. She even, possibly, perhaps she saw Harper getting laid. She saw the sun shine brightly over Tarn Vedra.

But she also saw pain. Unimaginable pain. They should have had more time, they should have said how they felt... She saw tears falling from piercing blue eyes, from Dylan's eyes. She saw partings, sacrifices and deaths. She saw flowers being laid on graves. She saw endless nights of arguments, of waking up to find someone dearly loved missing from the warmth of a bed. She saw love shattered, denied and broken. She saw her friends fall, all of them until eventually she was alone again. Her sun shining brightly over a system she didn't much care for anymore.

Nothing about that seemed perfect.

"Trance?" She shook her head, brought herself back from the brink.

"They're good, but Harper, they are not perfect. There is always heartache, no matter how perfect the future looks, I can't find the one without heartache."

Harper laughed, a little bit too loudly and harshly for the moment. But he had finally understood.

"You can't have the good without the bad, that's life Trance. The amazing experiences only happen when you agree that bad ones must happen too. The reason why you can't find the 'perfect' future is for one reason!" His voice became raised, excited- the worry was over. It would all be ok.

"Why?" Demanded Trance, the word forced out of her jewel-like mouth.

"There is no such thing as perfection Trance, no future- no sparky cola- no girl... Well, I don't know about the last one... Gee Trance, I think I get it- the perfect future was getting harder to obtain or see whatever, because it can never happen. It's an ideal not a reality."

"Like the perfect girl?" Trance spoke so quietly again, Harper almost missed the joke.

"Nah, I've decided that I will find her." Harper smiled back at her, his head nodding up and down but his hair staying miraculously in place.

Trance sat, amongst the plants. Contemplating what Harper had said. That boy had delivered one major epiphany. Could she deal with no perfection? Could she accept the dark as well as the light?

She was going to have to, because life is just life. Even for an avatar of a sun.

A/N. I stole the title of this chapter from a Fray song- All at once. I thought I'd mention it because I like the song and because that little bit is not from my head.

Hope you enjoyed the story.