Fanfic Recs / Once Upon a Time

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth getting your heart ripped out for here.

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Once Upon a Time fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.

You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

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Authors and Websites

katy-did

• Recommended by: inspibrain101
• Katy-did has a few stories, not necessarily a series, but all taking place in the same universe, showing some love to a sorely unappreciated character in the OUAT-verse: Dr. Whale, aka Frankenstein. Their stories develop his backstory and personality, since canon refuses to, and even parodies and makes some playful jabs at OUAT's "monkeysphere", overused plotlines, and gushy family and friendship moments. After reading these, Whale became my favorite character.

General Fics

Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.

All I've Ever Learned From Love by DawnieS

• Recommended by: tuxer
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: Henry begs, and Regina caves. But all it takes is one act of misplaced faith, and the residents of Storybrooke find themselves facing true Evil. And this time the Savior isn't there to rescue them.
• Comments: An alternative history of Once Upon a Time canon whose point of divergence is the episode Queen of Hearts where it is Cora and not Emma and Snow White that comes out of the wishing well. It takes a realistic interpretation of royal politics in Storybrooke, gives Henry some long overdue Character Development and avoids Draco in Leather Pants regarding Regina.
• Status: Work in Progress
• Now has a trope page

Once upon a Time: Abridged by daesgatling

• Recommended by: Azure Seas
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: An Abridged Series version of the show done in Script Fic style. Pokes fun mainly at the show's plot, though it has a few good references that aren't Disney-related. You can find it here.
• Tags: Parody
  • It's been moved here.

Growing Pains by Malteaser

• Recommended by: lyamainu
• Status: Complete.
• Synopsis: Henry Mills grows up in Storybrooke. He's the only one.
• Comments: Word of God, this is how Henry knew things were wrong in Storybrooke. This is haunting.

Emma Swan, Skeptic by Sarah 1281

• Recommended by: The Bookworms Magician
• Status: Complete.
• Synopsis: It all starts when Henry figures out who Gold is and tells him that Belle is alive. That sets the ball in motion and soon the curse is breaking left and right. None of this, however, means that Emma is at all obligated to believe that there is a curse.
• Comments: In the author's own words: "This is based on me wondering just how long Emma can refuse to believe in the curse. I have a great deal of faith in her in this regard."

shake it like a ladder to the sun by Agent of the Apothecary

• Recommended by: The Bookworms Magician
• Status: Complete.
• Synopsis: Mary Margaret Swan doesn't age, talks to birds, and bakes pies that make people do what she wants. She wins Awesomest Mother of the Year, like, hands down, every time. / Or, Geppetto finishes the chest on time, and Life happens.
• Comments:

Little Boy Blue by eggsaladstain

• Recommended by: The Bookworms Magician
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Henry is good at pretending.
• Comments: An amazing look at the series from Henry's POV.

Practice by katy-did

• Recommended by: Dreamy_Hunter
• Status: Complete.
• Synopsis: Which parts of your history make you who you are?
• Comments: Centered around Dr.Whale/Victor Frankenstein and it is an AU to season 2 of OUAT. Good pacing, good plot and funny at the right time. Worth a reading.

Moats and Boats and Waterfalls by blueink3

• Recommended by: Milarqui
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: Home. The word is given new meaning for five-year-old Emma when she's dropped off with her new foster parent. (AU, obvi)
• Comments: The story is very good, capturing Emma's spirit at age five and then eighteen, right after getting pregnant with Henry after she becomes adopted by David Nolan from Storybrooke, changing several things around and sparking encounters with other important people, such as Mary Margaret Blanchard (whom David falls in love with as soon as he sees her for the first time both times). The little Continuity Nods, both to the series and in-story, make things especially hilarious and heartwarming.

Once Upon A Dream by TriplePirouette

• Recommended by: HaerntheWatcher
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Rumpelstiltskin makes a deal to hide Princess Aurora from Maleficent for sixteen years. He was a father once, and finds himself thrust into the role once more, in and out of Storybrooke. Eventual Rumbelle.
• Comments: A very good fanfic depicting Daddy!Rumpelstiltskin rather interestingly. There is some Rumbelle, but it's not the focus of the story. The focus is on the relationship between Rumple and Aurora, or Brier Rose

Honor thy Father by DaesGatling

• Recommended by: hpfan4ever
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Snow White makes a deal to have Rumpelstiltskin raise Emma while they are under the curse.
• Comments: Really good fic that shows what Emma's life would be like if she had people who loved her. It's very long at 458,510 words but it's so well thought out that it's completely worth the reading time.

Monster Tamer by VickyVicarious

• Recommended by: blarfshnorgull
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Princess Emma has always had a way with beasts, but the more she grows, the more out of hand it gets. The castle is running out of places to put them. (EF AU)
• Comments: An adorable one-shot in which the curse never took place. Its main focus is on the Charming Family, but it does contain some Captain Swan.

Freeze on the Stones by Robin4

• Recommended by The Pianist
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: When Cora casts the curse, everyone suffers. Regina is married to the prince she never wanted. Gold tries to hide his affair with the librarian from Cora. Mary Margaret is drowning in debt, and Emma finds herself stuck in a dangerous town where no one is safe from the Evil Queen. This Storybrooke and its story are darker than the one you know. Ensemble Fic. Rumbelle, OQ, Snowing.
• Comments: Cora is a much more threatening villain than Regina, and the story is so much better for it. It puts a completely different spin on many of the relationships in the story, especially concerning Regina, who most people seem to see as a genuinely good person rather than an Evil Queen. Updated regularly. I definitely highly recommend it.
• Now has a trope page

Only A Rose by Tinuviel Undomiel

• Recommended by The Pianist
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: AU After Skin Deep. Emma has to take care of Rose French, Moe's granddaughter, after he is hospitalized. She begins to investigate Rose's missing mother and unknown father, uncovering a secret story from another world. Meanwhile, Mr. Gold struggles with the knowledge that he might have another child, one he must protect from Regina.
• Comments: Features lots of nice papa!Gold and mainly centers around Gold's attempts to gain custody of his child. Chapters are long and infrequently updated, but the author has recently confirmed that it is not a dead fic and will be updated soon.

Once Upon A Parody by The Lark

• Recommended by: Mc Midget
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: The caffeine-induced play-by-play for those viewers who haven't been paying attention
• Comments: An amusing parody which is full of references, running gags and a good fic to read if you want to pass the time. Chapter updates are semi-regular and well written.

Londyn Bridge: The Abyss and Londyn Bridge: Refuge by Ellynne

• Recommended by Anne Elliots Cat
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: What if Rumple had followed Baelfire into the portal, and they'd ended up in a parallel World Without Magic, in a city called Londyn (instead of London). How would they have survived? And when Emma, Neal (yes, you read that right), and Henry show up, from our Storybrooke, how can they untangle matters and escape their Fate Worse Than Death?
• Comments: A long (132K words) AU novel, with excellent characterization, a terrifying villain, and a compelling plot. Yes, there is a "Belle," but she's not the same, and Rumple "Weaver" is definitely *not* the Dark One.

Broken Kingdom, Broken Crown by Chess_Blackfyre

• Recommended by: Mercat 6
• Status: Dormant; last updated April 2021
• Synopsis: Killian Jones becomes the king of Camelot
• Pairing(s): Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Belle (Once Upon a Time)/Original Female Character(s), Belle (Once Upon a Time)/Madam Mim (Disney)
• Tags: AU

Crossover Fics

Stories focusing on an overlay between 2 different source materials.

Once Upon a Supernatural Time by all-mirth-no-matter

• Recommended by: Eric W
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: Henry Mills needs help convincing his new-found mother, Emma Swan, to believe in magic so she can break Storybrooke's curse. Could Dean and Sam Winchester be just the help he needs to get Emma to believe? Or will they also need some convincing? Dean's dealt with a lot of things - demons, angels, witches, werewolves - but magic may be a bit out of his belief system.
• Comments: This crossover is more of a "follow the plot but add in some twists" sort of story, set right before "The Stranger" in Once Upon A Time and towards the end of Season 5 of Supernatural. It also sets the land without magic in the Supernatural world, meaning that there's some interesting write-around for how a show called "Supernatural" is still a place that has no magic. It's told mostly as a straight adaptation of the last days of the curse, only with the Winchesters among them to change how the events work (for one, Emma never tries kidnapping Henry due to Dean talking her out of it). However, the story also begins to incorporate more of Supernatural once they break the curse, changing the tone and flow of events from canon. Its emotions are genuine, and though it does include shipping the Winchesters with Emma and Ruby, it's still an enjoyable read for fans of either series. The Author even says there are plans to continue the fic all the way up until the present of Once while continuing with the Supernatural seasons as they go.
• Now has a Tropes page.

Villains and Happy Endings by Dhampyrx2

• Crossover with: Descendants
• Recommended by: Broken Mayflower
• Status: Dead; last update October 2017
• Synopsis: Regina felt as if she no longer belongs in Henry's life now that the curse has broken and Emma and Snow have returned from the Enchanted Forest. She is ready to lick her wounds and soldier on alone until and unexpected source provides her with another option.
• Comments: This little gem is the only excellent quality Descendants and OUAT crossover fic, and I've seen quite a lot. Definitely worth checking out.

Forever Frozen by Cryoshade

• Crossover with: Frozen
• Recommended by Black John
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: When an Evil Queen's curse reaches the small kingdom of Arendelle, two sisters find themselves transported to a different world, completely unaware of the life and magic they left behind.
• Comments: While only at four chapters at time of recommendation, I'm finding myself wanting more. It feels very much as if the characters from Frozen have been brought into Storybrooke, and their "curse" is very much what you would expect. It's amazing this fic hasn't received as much attention as it deserves. Go read it. Now.

A Most Unusual Friendship by December21st

• Crossover with Haven
• Recommended by ultimomant
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: The personification of The Barn and the personification of Storybrooke's Curse meet and become friends.
• Comments: While rather unusual, it's heartwarming how the much older Barn mentors the much more recently created Curse.

Lost in the Woods by kalie82

• Crossover with Haven
• Recommended by ultimomant
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: A few months before Audrey Parker arrived in Haven, she stumbles onto Storybrooke and helps Emma Swan with a case.
• Comments: As noted by the author, Audrey and Emma are rather similar in how they deal with supernatural town shenanigans and have a special destiny connected to their respective towns.

The Stranger in Storybrooke by Kyia Star

• Crossover with Bleach
• Recommended by ultimomant
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Byakuya Kuchiki arrives in Storybrooke to collect Graham's soul. Despite his misgivings, he agrees to honor Graham's Last Request.

Dark Dynasty by The Silver Bullet

• Recommended by: Emperor Max 2019
• Crossover with Harry Potter
• Status: Ongoing
• Synopsis: Cora unknowingly fulfilled her bargain to the Dark One, she bore him a child. However, due to a realm jumper who is desperate for a savior and a couple of memory charms, she's unaware that she was ever pregnant. Fate, however, decides to intervene after Harry Potter's first year.
• Takes place in the summer after Book 1 on the Harry Potter side and right in the middle of Season 2 for Once Upon A Time. It's another "Harry was actually adopted by the Potters" fic, but it's really well done. The story explores the Butterfly Effect of Harry being the long lost son of Cora and Rumplestilskin and how the revelation of his true parentage affects the story for both universes. Fair warning, there's a noticeable amount of bashing (mainly Dumbledore, the Weasleys, and the Wizarding World in general), but it's not as noticeable until later on. Even then, the majority of the bashing is done by Rumplestiltskin, so it's a bit understandable given his personality. A great read with lots of Funny and Heartwarming Moments in equal measure.
• Warnings: AU (for both canons), Slash (no pairings, but one character having a Coming-Out Story is a major plot point), and the aforementioned bashing.

A Word A Day: I know how you feel by LunaStorm

• Recommended by: darksecret
• Crossover with Doctor Who
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: (Given by author) The Doctor finds himself accidently landing in Storybrooke at random intervals. The oddest thing is that his companions always seem to love it. Why, he could not fathom.
• Comments: Some lovely parallels between companions and Storybrooke characters. Definitely worth a read for any fan of the two shows.

Once Upon Avengers by Steve993

• Recommended by SAM 996
• Status: Dormant; last updated September 2020
• Crossover with: The Avengers (2012)/Marvel Cinematic Universe
• Pairings Steve Rogers/Regina Mills
• Synopsis: When battle with a supervillain with the ability to create portals goes wrong the Avengers, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk are whisked to another world the world of Neverland as the trio join with the Saviour Emma Swann and her family to rescue her son Henry. Set after the Avengers but before Phase 2 and during the Pan Arc of OUAT. Crossover between The Avengers and Once Upon a Time.

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''Just Highly Improbable by Phoenix Dragon Dreamer

• Recommended by: Master Fuzzy
• Crossover with Doctor Who
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: A one-shot showing a meeting of two old friends: The Eleventh Doctor, and Rumplestiltskin. Except that Rumple has another name, one that the Doctor knows him better by: the Master.
• Comments: A very well-written story, which does a great job showing the relationship between those two characters.

Shipping Fics

Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the characters.

Storybrooks Tale of Beauty and the Beast by Teddy'sTwin

• Recommended by: Enjoydamoment
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Henry discovers a girl in a basement of the hospital that sends Mr. Gold's world reeling. He's lived without her for so long, and now she's alive. Alive, despite what he'd been told. Now what will happen as he tries to win her back?
• Pairing: Rumple/Belle

Time Around by Rhine Gold

• Recommended by: DBU 2
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: After an accident, Emma winds up in Fairy Tale Land - far in the past. There, she meets Rumplestiltskin - before he ever gained his powers and became the Dark One.
• Pairing: Rumplestiltskin/Emma (Golden Swan)

In The Shadow Of The Toll Bridge

• Recommended by: Faded Echoes
• Status: In progress (updated January 2023 after 5-year hiatus)
• Synopsis: Something DID jog the memory of our favorite prince that night...but it wasn't the windmill...
• Pairings: Snow/Charming, Ella/Thomas, Emma/Graham, Belle/OC - basically every fairytale pairing.
• Comments: As of Chapter 38, Graham has been killed.
  • Now has a trope page.

Burning by Fyre

• Recommended by: sablin27
• Status: Complete.
• Synopsis: "When the Ogre Wars threaten to sweep all kingdoms away, Rumpelstiltskin feels the pull of blood on the Dark One's dagger." An AU where five years after Rumplestiltskin isn't called upon to save a kingdom, his dagger has found its way into hands far less safe than his sons'.
• Belle/Rumplestiltskin
• Comments: A heart-breaking study of loss, grief, and regret.

A Bed of Thorns by Nym

• Recommended by Jenny Islander
• Status: Dead
• Synopsis: Belle is no princess, but then Rumpelstiltskin is certainly no prince. His price is her hand in marriage.
• Rumple/Belle (Rumbelle)
• Comments: Belle/Rumplestiltskin with due attention to characterization and world building. Belle is the daughter of a minor nobleman with a life at home that does not end when she goes with Rumplestiltskin. Rumplestiltskin is simultaneously the ancient, eldritch, inhuman Dark One and the lonely and uncertain sheepfarmer's son who picked up Zoso's dagger because he was desperate. The POV is a tight third-person, exclusively Belle. The plot is AU, based on the premise, What if Rumplestiltskin's price for helping Sir Maurice had been Belle's hand in marriage? The canon supporting characters and the OCs are well rounded and active, instead of the usual plot stasis that sets in when a romance is the main focus of a fanfic. And the erotic passages are numerous, poignantly written, and smokin' hot.
• Now with its own trope page here

Crimson by SilverRavenStar

• Recommended by blarfshnorgull
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: AU. Professor Killian Jones, a mysterious Irish scholar, and Emma Nolan, a college sophomore from a sleepy little town in Maine, cross paths at Boston College. Neither of them could have imagined what would happen next.
• Captain Swan (Emma/Hook)
• Comments: The summary says is's a college au, but there is so much more to it. This fic sure does love its plot twists and I guarantee that this is one of the most interesting and surprising Captain Swan fics out there.

somewhere, someone must know the ending by maleficently

• Recommended by: Entropic
• Status: Complete.
• Synopsis: AU; here, 'fairy tale land' is merely a product of Henry's imagination during a difficult time.
• Emma/Regina, Snow/Charming
• Comments: If you're going to read just one Swan Queen fic, make it this one. It's a well-written, poignant, and sometimes uncomfortable look at the extremely dysfunctional relationship between Emma and Regina in an alternate Storybrooke, where they have to work for their happy ending and there's no Fairy Tale Land or magic to help them.

a story, a tale by maleficently

• Recommended by: Entropic
• Status: Complete.
• Synopsis: AU; the curse is cast by Maleficent, not Regina, and its intended targets are Aurora and her true love.
• Mulan/Aurora, Phillip/Aurora
• Comments: A neat little AU which brings a post-curse Mulan to Storybrooke as a former soldier with memory issues, where everyone's roles are a little different from what we know. Alternates between Storybrooke as the characters start to notice their collective memory loss, and flashbacks to Fairy Tale Land which explore how Mulan grows to love Aurora and vice versa, as well as the strong friendship between Mulan and Phillip.

Once Upon a Time and Again by KayleeThePete

• Recommended by: Milarqui
• Status: Dormant
• Synopsis: AU, post-curse story. "I'm going to work to win your heart, Snow," he told her, or maybe he was warning her. He saw her suck in a breath. "I want you and I want forever."
• Charming/Snow, Ella/Thomas, Belle/OC, Red/?, Aurora/Phillip.
• Comments: This story begins a bit slowly, but it soon builds up to an intense tale of how things could have been in different circumstances. The similarities to what happened in the series' past and, yet, the different things that take place, as well as the little jokes that reference the series, make this fanfic a delicious thing to read about. The development of the main couple, Charming/Snow, is carried out very well, with things not being perfect as there are arguments and obstacles, making their love more real and passionate. The other characters in the story only improve things by making sure that there are more things than just Charming and Snow, and the backstory is quite well worked on. Now has a trope page.

Slipping Underneath by Tara 1189.

• Recommended by Storm Requiem
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: "You deserve your prince, love. But I'm too bloody selfish to let him have you."
• Sleeping Hook (Hook/Aurora)
• Comments: Wonderfully written- beautiful imagery, darkly passionate without dissolving into PWP, and VERY IC. I highly recommend it!

and i went down with such a force by andromeda3116

• Recommended by Chocolate Crow
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: (that in your grave i lie)Milah lives in a book hidden in the back of Hook's wardrobe that he hasn't opened in three hundred years.
• Hook/Milah and Captain Swan (Hook/Emma)
• Comments: A respectful look at both relationships in a moment of intimacy that, if not for the technicalities of the canon Neverland timeline, would fit right in as a missing moment. The piece is sweetly in-character, with the fun banter and the quiet seriousness. It's delicate and very much in the tone of the show, featuring the experience hope and coming to terms.

--can't rain all the time by andromeda3116

• Recommended by: Chocolate Crow
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: Zombie apocalypse modern AU, first meeting and family, Emma character piece and point of view. Excerpt:
  • "And anyway," he goes on in a lighter — albeit forced — voice, "do you really want to die without even knowing my name? I grant that hygiene has fallen somewhat among my priorities, but even so…"
    She rolls her eyes.
• Captain Swan (Hook/Emma)
• Comments: The AU transplant works well, using the humanity the show grounds its characters in. The romance is also grounded as such, so that you can see its beginnings here, within the connection over loss and the search for family. Like her other fic mentioned above, it has the show's tone of hope in bleakness, particularly by integrating one of the canonical examples of that in its own way.

Effulgent by VickyVicarious

• Recommended by: blarfshnorgull
• Status: Complete
• Synopsis: It's her smile.
• Frankenwolf (Ruby/Victor)
• Comments: A brief one-shot that explores Ruby and Victor's relationship before and after the curse (both of them). It's very well written, in character, and can practically be canon.

The Monomythical Adventures of Regina Mills and Emma Swan by MaggieMerc

• Recommended by Keshia
• Status: Part 1, Destiny is the Rabbit Hole and part 2, Toxic is the Unyielding Love are complete. Part 3, Dangerous is the Vexed God is ongoing, and updated regularly.
• Synopsis: A Season 2 AU where Regina gets dragged kicking and screaming onto the path to redemption and Emma gets dragged kicking and screaming onto the path of superhero and Snow watches with bated breath.
• Emma/Regina, Aurora/Mulan, Snow/David. Henry/Dorothy
• Comments: Gripping plot, wonderful characterisation, terrifying villains, and a realistically done redemption story. At times, hilarious and heartwarming. Other times, gut-wrenching and horrifying. Even if you don't read Swan Queen fics, this one is worth it.

Fester by Whas'up

• Recommended by heh
• Status: Dormant, last updated February 2016.
• Synopsis: Season 3, set during the lost year in the Enchanted Forest (currently has gone AU). Summary: Regina lets the wounds on her arm fester. She leaves them be, night after night, staring at them, dark eyes empty, breath easy, and she could be sleeping, if she weren't in so much pain. But Henry is gone, her baby, and the pain will never go away. Infection is no laughing matter, and when Roland witnesses her fall to her fever, it's his father he runs too.
• Regina/Robin Hood
• Comments: The chapters alternate between Robin's and Regina's point of view. It's absolutely heartbreaking and lovely, with a compelling plot and spectacular characterization, and a number of unexpected twists. Fair warning: it features PTSD and abuse. One of the best fics I've ever read; I find myself checking for updates several times a day.
• Drama/Angst

Awakening by Milarqui

• Recommended by: CaskettLover
• Status: Dormant, last updated June 2016.
• Synopsis: Kissing as the Dark Curse took them away to a new world, neither Snow White nor Prince Charming knew that it would be the thing that would save them and their family from taking the wrong path and from making mistakes. A kiss that took them from Death's Gate and awakened them both.
• Pairings: Emma/Graham, David Nolan/Mary Margaret Blanchard, Rumplestiltskin/Belle.
• Comments: the change begins when Snow White kisses Charming as the curse begins to take them to the World Without Magic, which, while it keeps Storybrooke as it is before Emma arrives, it begins to make waves as Emma's arrival influences everyone around her. Highlights include David and Kathryn becoming Amicable Exes, David and Mary Margaret getting together with Kathryn's blessing, Emma realizing that magic is real and Emma saving Graham thanks to True Love Kiss.

Broken Hearts Mend Souls by Can't-Escape-My-Fandoms

• Recommended by: BrainWithAMouth
• Status: Dormant; last updated April 2018
• Synopsis: Captain Swan AU. Cora lets the curse take Killian, and her action changes the course of events in Storybrooke, forever changing their lives. A lot will stay to canon to Seasons 1-3 so far with exceptions made to accommodate Killian being cursed to Storybrooke as well as original scenes with Killian and others. There will be elements of season 4, but I will not have canon season 4.
• Pairings: Emma/Killian, David Nolan/Mary Margaret Blanchard, among others.
• Comments: This fic is very dedicated to fleshing out what could have happened if the show got the rights to Captain Hook in season 1. It explores the minds of Emma, Killian, Henry as well as other characters, it progresses the Captain Swan relationship in a realistic and m heartwarming way, and it fleshes out minor characters in the show in a way that's satisfying and adds to the story.

Beyond The Horizon by alexandralyman

• Recommended by: BrainWithAMouth
• Status: Ongoing
• Pairings: Emma/Killian
• Synopsis: AU: When Princess Emma's ship is captured by the Jolly Roger and Captain Killian Jones, she offers herself as a hostage for ransom if he will let the ship and the other passengers go. With Emma, Killian remembers the honour he once held dear, and Emma catches glimpses of the gentleman Killian had been. Against all odds, the pirate and the princess begin to fall for each other.
• Comments: Beyond the Horizon is a wonderfully written fic that details the journey of Emma and Killian as they go from being wary of one another to seeing more than just the outward veneer of who they're supposed to be.

A Fine Line by hunnyfresh

• Recommended by: beyondthesea
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Emma/Regina
• Synopsis: Upon Regina's banishment, the small town of Storybrooke becomes protected once again by an enchantment that prevents anyone from leaving or entering Storybrooke. Emma and Regina find themselves on the edge of the town, wishing for a way to the other side.
• Tags: Angst, Fluff

Prism by coalitiongirl

• Recommended by: beyondthesea
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Emma/Regina
• Synopsis: Regina Mills meets two people at once at the moment she first sees in color, makes the wrong choice, and falls in love with the right one anyway.
• Tags: Soulmate AU

I've Got You Deep In the Heart of Me by coalitiongirl

• Recommended by: beyondthesea
• Status: Complete
• Pairings: Emma/Regina
• Synopsis: Soulmates are for the privileged few, the good, the fairytale heroes. Soulmates are for love stories, and Regina’s love has only ended in pain and loss. A soulmate would be a waste of her ability, and she persuades herself of it so vehemently that she can stand naked in her castle, surrounded by mirrors, and pretend that she isn’t searching for a tattoo on her skin anymore.
• Tags: Soulmate AU, Angst