Emma Swan, Skeptic
is a one-shot Alternate Universe Once Upon a Time fanfic by Sarah1281.
Henry figures out who Mr. Gold is and tells him that Belle is alive, and soon the curse starts breaking all over Storybrooke. Emma, however, staunchly denies the curse's existence.
Written while the first season was still airing, it was, in the author's own admission, based on their "wondering just how long Emma can refuse to believe in the curse".
The fanfic contains examples of:
- Armor-Piercing Response: Mr. Gold keeps his cool when Henry reveals his own identity to Emma, and acts mildly condescending towards the alleged creations of Henry's imagination. Then, however...Gold: I still don't understand why you're telling me this.Henry: I just thought you might want to know Belle's father didn't drive her to suicide.
- Deliberately Cute Child: Henry can assume an expression of "calculated innocence", and Emma is very proud of it.
- Flat-Earth Atheist: When Emma's transported to the Enchanted Forest, she simply thinks she has been dosed with the "drugged" water.
- Lighter and Softer: This being a Humor/Parody fanfic (not to mention severely outdated by canon), the happy ending is achieved much earlier and easier than in the series.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: Regina tries to stop Mr. Gold and Belle getting married by claiming that Belle, as a mental patient, isn't legally competent. Mr. Gold immediately counters it by reminding her that there is no paperwork to prove Belle's (legal) admission to the hospital or her diagnosis.
- Running Gag: Emma assumes the water from the well has LSD in it, hence everybody starting to believe Henry after drinking it.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Emma is the only person in Storybrooke authorized to deal with parking tickets, so she feels safe enough to bend parking rules for her own car.
- Ultimate Authority Mayor: Subverted. Regina allows Emma to issue parking tickets after Emma threatens to settle the matter with higher authorities.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Since Emma doesn't believe anything magical is actually happening, the description of her getting transported to the Enchanted Forest is... rather flat.One day, Emma was sitting alone in the Sheriff's office filling out paperwork when the world just sort of melted away.
