Safe (OUAT story)
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Safe |
| Author(s): | SgtMac |
| Date(s): | 2013 - 2017 |
| Length: | 220,000 words |
| Genre: | Femslash |
| Fandom: | Once Upon a Time |
| External Links: | AO3 FFN |
 Art by shikabane-mai (2013) | |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Safe is a Once Upon a Time, Emma Swan/Regina Mills story by SgtMac. As of June 2022, it has over 40,600 hits, 1200 kudos, 370 bookmarks, and 160 comments on Archive of Our Own, and 2800 faves and 1600 reviews on FanFiction.net.
Summary
Post Miller's Daughter. Emma and Henry kidnap an enraged and homicidal Regina and take her out of Storybrooke so that she can heal in a place without magic. Along the way, these two damaged women begin to slowly discover just how much they have in common and exactly how strong the connection between this little family of theirs truly is.
Slow-burn SQ, semi-graphic (eventually).
Reactions and Reviews
Not for the faint of heart, this is an angsty, angsty story that’s regarded as a masterpiece by many in the OUAT fandom. Regina’s kidnapped by Emma and Henry and taken over the Storybrooke border so she can work through her deep-seated issues and rage without magic—or killing anyone. It’s a slow burn, slow build fic, that makes you ache and feel so invested.[1]
SgtMac writes brilliant characterizations. Safe’s dual point of view gives readers a crisp clear glimpse of each woman’s singular voice – Regina’s refined scathing wit and Emma’s equally intelligent but casual riposte – as well as a deeper understanding of what makes each of them both attractive and unique.Another beautiful aspect of this story is the balance of exploration. Regina isn’t the only one who needs to work through issues from her past, and Emma quickly learns that she must give if she’s going to get.
Some readers may not enjoy the seemingly endless processing, but this story isn’t a procession of contrived anything-to-get-them-together scenes. Instead, it’s a thought-provoking and ultimately believable approach to Regina’s character growth including triumphs and setbacks. Emma’s insistence on treating Regina’s path like any other road to recovery is also what feeds her reluctance at anything romantic or sexual happening between them. When the romance eventually appears, the reasons they fight it are pragmatic – as are the reasons why they ultimately surrender...
While an exceptionally satisfying read, the length is hefty. Still, very little here is filler and every scene adds another aspect of the growing connection between Regina and Emma.
For those who can’t stand Neal, be forewarned that he makes a few appearances. He only exists, however, to clarify Emma’s feelings and Regina’s growing control over her magic.
The warnings in this story are not to be ignored. Regina’s harrowing past defines what transformed her into the Evil Queen, and while not exceedingly graphic, they’re also not ambiguous. Tread carefully.[2]
This is a story about the emotional and psychological of two women who are trying to survive and exist healthily.It is compelling to know that the story doesn't present the possibility of romance until more than half of the fic. So a real slow burn.
It is curious to see the progress of the characters over time. To see the hatred and disgust that Regina felt about herself gradually diminished, - not to disappear completely because nothing improves from night to day. This requires a lot of time and the author makes this very clear. - Acceptance about the troubled relationship with her mother, among other things.
The fic touches on quite heavy subjects like rape in a forced marriage, torture, family abuse, PTSD, Depression, etc, etc ...
The author, as in several of her stories, has done a very meticulous work with this fic and I believe she must have done some research on the psychological aspect of the characters.[3]
the god of all hurt/comfort healing fics[4]
This is an absolutely beautiful story that focuses not only on Swan Queen, but also on Regina’s own journey of healing. I cannot express to you how much I love SgtMac’s writing. It’s so heartbreaking to see Regina, mistrusting and almost feral, in the beginning when she believed no one cared, but Emma and Henry slowly show her that she’s wrong. This story really stands out to me because a relationship is secondary to mental health, and SgtMac writes it that way. The evolution of Swan Queen is so natural and real that it almost makes me cry. Definitely read this if you have the time.[5]
reading this fic was such a journey - in the best way possible. it’s dark and angsty, but it’s a brilliant character study of regina (and emma.) slow-burn![6]
Inspired Fanworks
- Cover art, Archived version by seriouslyficent
- Comic, Archived version by napfreak
- Afraid (A fanmix for the fanfiction “Safe” by SgtMac), Archived version fanmix by juiletburked
Example Art Gallery
Cover art by seriouslyficent (2013)
References
- ^ "Top 15 Lesbian Fanfiction Stories". Archived from the original on 2022-06-18.
- ^ "Advanced WLW Processing SwanQueen Style: Fanfic Review". Archived from the original on 2022-06-18.
- ^ Goodreads review
- ^ "April 30, 2021 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2022-06-18.
- ^ "June 1, 2014 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2022-06-18.
- ^ "Feb 22, 2022 Tweet". Archived from the original on 2022-06-18.