AU Emma Swan (OUAT)

Like I said, I already wrote canon-Emma, I'm happy with her, so this one is more of a 'what if she was more realistically broken, and a couple of seasons of ouat which aren't even a full year of her adult life aren't enough to fix it'. She can be a hero while being traumatized and holding grudges, and heal enough to trust her loved ones to stay and have a fulfilling life, but without forgiving the ones who hurt her and without being magically perfect by the end of it. She wants to help others and maybe that's the point: even if she's scared of being betrayed again, she will keep running around to save people. 

Her personality in this verse is less socially competent, less adjusted, more emotion-driven with unhealthy behaviors, as in she may snap at her parents too, get overwhelmed, she will call people out regardless of who they are, and try to leave Henry more in her parents' care because she can barely look after herself: terrible diet, sleeping habits and mood swings now that she has to deal with parents who want her. She can get swept away in the excitement of having normal experiences now and then close off because scared to trust that joy to stay. After all, she was abused in the foster system, chose homelessness, back in the system for a few years and then homeless at age 16, then betrayed, imprisoned, pregnant, gave birth shackled long before 18, had to give up the baby, somehow kept looking for Neal and her parents, found a mentor who died in front of her, then... turned her life together with some big score and became rich enough to get an apartment in Boston, zero friends even after years. Why should she, as a 28yo woman, be well-adjusted?

Keep in mind that there is not ONE relationship in which she's not backstabbed or abandoned for the first 28 years of her life, which if I'm not wrong is an unique situation there (all other characters felt LOVED by at least one or more people before they lost them). It's because she's a Disney princess that she somehow manages to only have 'fear of commitment' and 'trust issues' as a result. Desperate to have a family, she'll still trying to run away to spare her own feelings, she'll be more jealous in general because she'll believe she's not good enough, and only gain some confidence after being given the memories of raising Henry. If she didn't have the Disney princess instinct she'd likely be toxic to Killian and the others in an attempt to protect herself, maybe test them and hurt them, but instead we get her letting her guard down here and there. She tends to be a little more affectionate towards David because it doesn't require words - plus he pretty much always agrees with her and cuddles her. It's more complicated with Mary Margaret due to MM's wish to have another baby, her relationship with Regina and more (I LOVE MM and I need this to be fixed).

-once she and Killian start seeing each other she'll tell him a LOT about her past, if only to explain why she can't control the urge to pull back every now and then, to run, to be unnecessarily snappy. Up to you how Killian will react to it.

Here to write canon divergent ways for her to fall in love with Hook or more about their domestic time, AND different ways for the lost girl to get closer to her parents while still so traumatized.

The performative change of outfits to symbolize she doesn't have her walls up as much anymore won't happen in s2 but only well into season 4, after she: recognized that she feels at home with her parents at the end of s3, found out Killian gave the Jolly Roger up for a chance to see her, had ten years worth of memories of raising Henry as a fuctional adult and one year being okay with him in Boston, has a few months to adjust to the reality that those memories are fake but she can still be functional, and finally she learns to control her magic while also going to therapy with some therapist that isn't a family friend: THAT's when she wears less leather, and I feel this is also a good representation on how delicate her situation is.
The jacket is back on and her mental health is still in hell in season 6, after the whole 'being a super tame dark one has everyone up in arms while Gold and Regina are treated as family' debacle, that was followed by 'I'm expected to watch my True Love die and not hope in a miracle even though it's perfectly normal in the Enchanted Forest to fight for it, and I felt alone against everyone both in the Enchanted Forest and in the Afterlife? And then I basically lost him anyway? Screw this'. AFTER that, it will take a long time feeling safe, wanted, and more therapy, before she takes off the leather again, and she will have a typical set-back and lose many of her improvements, and she'll be less Savior and more resentful Emma (she'll only apologize to Killian for this. Henry is a child and not involved). I find perfectly reasonable that she'll think Killian left her in season 6, given her past and the fact that she spent less than 2 years in Storybrooke at this point versus 28 years of abandonment(s). She'll move in with him later than in canon, spend more time on his ship instead. 

More about her canon interactions:

She'll NEVER be friends with Regina and resent her mother if she's friends with her like in the show. She'll probably clash with Henry over this. She'll never try to apologize for saving Marian or placate Regina over it. She'll cooperate when she has to. She'll bring up Graham, in fact, and fight the idea she should feel bad for her. She'll vent to people about this. To be clear, in season 2 she still chose to save Regina from death FOR Henry, and when they come back to Storybrooke in season 3b after the year in Boston, Emma was less hostile; it's the Marian-issue and Regina's reaction that starts it all over again.
She'll be jealous of her brother at first, she's too immature to deal with feeling 'replaced' right away, but she'll get over it. She was way more angry towards Neal (a change from canon is that she'll never say she still loves him), so I doubt his brother will be named after him. Has no attachment left for Lily, they spent maybe 4 days together twelve years earlier. Bonded with Elsa super fast like in canon. Permanently hostile to Gold after he takes Killian's heart, even if forced to interact (AGAIN, this isn't personal!!! I'm sorry Rumple rpers!) and may even be hostile to Belle if she takes his side. Walsh is an incredibly painful memory to her, seeing as her consent was also barely there, and jokes will be met with anger. Dark One Emma will list everyone's failings every time someone tries to call her out.
INGRID will be very important to her once those memories are back, as the first person in this world who actually wanted her as family, even if it was in a misguided way. Doesn't really blame August because he was a kid too but it's a weird relationship.