Hey you. I'm looking for a fic that goes on season 2, right at the beginning. Emma is going to save Regina and they escape through a tunnel and go to a cabin in the woods that Regina had as a reserve plan in case the curse went wrong. I know Cora appears at some point. Thank you so much for all ur hard work. Have a nice day :)
Thank you so much! I hope you had a nice day :)
Such a good one! That’s The Debt by Scribes and Scrolls. Enjoy xoxo
My friend ask me to do a fic rec so I though I might as well post it in case anyone else is interested. It’s all Swan Queen so don’t even bother if you’re not a hardcore Emma and Regina fan (as if this would be true for any of my followers haha).
Warning this ended up far larger than I originally intended haha.
I shall start off by saying that I haven’t read an extensive amount, and I didn't save a lot of what I read in the beginning, so some of this is authors I like, or stories I've heard good things about and want to read. I’ll start with thing I have read, and can 100% recommend.
(Also, I should warn that I like angsty, dark, sad fics so the majority of these fall under one if not all of those headings, but don't worry there's a bit of fluff and humour mixed in)
Long fics first:
Sapphire Smoke; [ Of Love and Loathing, Transgressions of the Heart ]
This is hands down my favourite, go to recommendation. I was hooked after the first chapter and read the entire of the first fic in a day. Sadly Transgressions is yet to be completed but it’s updated regularly so it’s not to painful to wait. Sapphire Smoke is the best Swan Queen smut writer I have come across (and she has a lot of competition), but she offers far more than that, and its a must if you are interested in the darker side of Swan Queen.
Hunnyfresh; Henry’s Gift, Incoming Messages, A Fine Line, Static
I read A Fine Line because it was all over my dash and that’s what got me into Swan Queen fic in the first place. Incoming Messages is probably my fav, but I absolutely loved Henry's Gift as well. If you love to have your heart broken slowly and then put back together again Hunnyfresh is for you. Of all the Swan Queen writers I think she comes up with the most original and clever concepts around which to create a story. She also has a lot of shorter fic that you can read in a few hours kinda like a very long one shot, which I love.
Scribes and Scrolls; [ The Debt, A Ledger Squared in Blood ]
The debt was the first longer fic I read and I absolutely adored it. It’s one of the few I’ve read that's set in FTL rather than Storybroke. It was a nice intro because it is not a complete AU as Emma and Regina travel to FTL from Storybroke. The sequel was less enjoyable but only because they're separate for a lot of it. That being said after the ending of The Debt it's impossible not to read on, and it's still super enjoyable.
Heartsways; Branded, [ Fragments of a Life Less Lived, All You’ve Ever Known ]
Heartsways is, in my opinion, one of the best Swan Queen writers. She has a real feel for Regina and Emma and boy can she pull at your heartstrings. I recommend following her on tumblr and going through her 5 sentence fic tag. If you’re luckily enough to catch her when she’s writing them definitely send her a prompt (I promise you will not be disappointed). I’ve listed these three fics as I’ve read them but I’m sure all of her longer fics are fantastic and I of course in tend to read them all.
Sea-ess-eye / Princess Charming; Double Trouble;
I stayed up till 6am last night reading this. I am now 22 chapters in and very upset that i’m going to have to wait for weekly updates. 18 year old Regina and 17 year old Emma turn up in Storybook and mischief and romance ensue. It’s a lot lighter than the other fic here and despite my tendency to gravitate towards dark and angsty fic I think this will remain a firm favourite.
Bond.Jane; Educating Emma
Another FTL fic. Based around the idea of Regina teaching Emma magic when they return to FTL. I enjoyed exploring the magical side of the relationship far more than I expected, and also the political aspects of being a royal in FTL. It has a lovely pace and builds slowly giving it a more genuine feel than some other fics.
Now for some one shots:
Barbie Shoes; Bye Bye, Baby
Warning do not read this in public. You will sob, probably uncontrollably. I don't want to give anything away so I will say no more.
Echo-AU; Monday
Uhh this is another heartbreaking one. on the longer side, it and almost has the feel of a longer fic as the timeline is around a year and told in snap shots. Mondays will never be the same again.
Hunnyfresh; Morning Glory, The Colloquial Term
Adorably entertaining and amusing. Just read all her one shots tbh.
EEmmersonM; The One Thing She'll Never Remember
I really feel in love with the simple idea of this fic. I was sad that it was so short but she's decided to continue it so I suppose I shouldn't really class it as a one shot anymore.
Writetherest; Thought You'd Never Ask, Don't Fight the Feeling
The first because I love the idea that they need a push and the Ruby is the one to give it. And the second because I don't think I'll ever get bored of Emma annoying Regina with her rugged charms.
Fictorium; Hips Don't Lie
Drunk Swan Queen. It's never not a good idea...
Exquisiteliltart; Aiding and Abetting
More Drunk Swan Queen. This time there is the added bonus of a game of Truth or Dare...
Theses are some writer I have yet to mention who either I, or everyone else in the fandom seem to recommend A lot of the stories in my ever growing list of must reads are by these guys.
This is my current list of must reads. I have yet to read any of them though so apologies if any of them fail to live up to the high standards fic writers have set for themselves in this fandom. After making this I’m feeling pretty motivated so I’m going to pick one at random and start it now.
Black Lace, Adventures with Cora Mills, Tempest, The Snow Queen, The Second Hand Unwinds, Safe, [ Land and the Sea, Rivers and Roads, Honey and the moon ],[ The Fatal Plunge Series (i ii iii) ] Paint it Black, Sense Memory, Finding Emma, Evil Queens don’t get a Happily Ever After, Even Angels Fall, Grooming, The Games, Enchanted, All the Single Ladies, The Tale
Despite the fact that this is a huge list it really only touches on the amount of amazing stuff out there, and I'm sure i've missed out some amazing writers and stories. I recommend following beatthe0dds as they do a great job at recommending fics and posting regular updates.
Most of these guys are on tumblr so go follow them and send them love, prompts etc.
EDIT
I now have a pretty extensive rec on my blog so check it out if you fancy :)
