Do you have a favourite AU?

Actually, I loathe AUs on principle. I understand why so many other people like them, but it just doesn’t work for me. For me, context is part of and informs characterization. I know very well that I wouldn’t be the exact person that I am if I had been born in another culture, followed a career path into medicine or professional sports or something like that. I’m in love with this universe and this canon, and if I wanted something else, I would just write/read original fiction (which I do!). Unfortunately for me, that means that I also feel completely unable to ignore the canon, so I only write canon-compliant stories. I hate that there’s a baby in this world now, but she’s a part of the canon and I therefore have to find a way to make it work. I hate that Mary existed in this canon at all and feel that she’s done untold damage to the story, but here we are. Lol. It’s a curse… but that’s just how it works for me. The canon is the canon, and I will respect it. And undo its worst aspects with all of my power, but in the full, resigned consideration that it happened in the first place. Alas!