I originally wrote this as a challenge at the If Only in my Fantisies forum. This is my first shot at writing Madine. Hope ya'll like it.

Prompt: "I don't wanna be no man's woman. I've other work I want to get done. I haven't travelled this far to become no man's woman." (Sinead O'Connor)

"I'm sorry." The tears couldn't fall down fast enough. "I can't marry you."

The man on bended knee looked up at the woman who had captured his tortured heart. Confusion was mixed with sadness.

"But Nadine, I love you. I want you to be my wife. I want you to be the mother of my children."

Her head fell into her hands.

"I'm sorry Matt. I wish with every part of my being that I could go through with it. I just can't."

"Why not?"

She bit her lip as her blue eyes brimmed with more tears.

"Because I wanted more out of life than to just have a family of my own." She caressed his cheek. "I do want the house with the babies and picket fence. But I want so much more."

"More than I could give you. Like your little prince could."

Sadness and defeat had quickly turned to anger.

"Mathew Hunter, you take that back! Nikolas has nothing to do with this!"

His emotions had taken a 180 just like hers had a moment before.

"So you're telling me that if Cassadine would've gotten the idea of popping the question when you were still with him, you'd be telling him the same thing? I don't believe that for a second Nadine."

"It's the truth Matt. I love you more than you could possibly know. More than I thought I could. More than I ever loved him." She tried to figure out how to explain things without him turning more into a spoiled jealous child. "There are things I want to do. Before I can even THINK about marriage and family. I didn't become a nurse just to snag myself a good-looking doctor."

"You think I'm good-looking?"

"Sexy, brilliant and arrogant as Hell. But I do love you. Don't ever doubt that."

"But you won't become Mrs. Matt hunter?"

She shook her head.

"I wish I could baby. But I want, need, to be my own person first. My whole life I've been something to everyone else first. A sister to Jolene. A daughter to my parents. Someone's girlfriend. Everyone's friend. I need to be me first. Can you understand that?"

She was starting to get antsy. This was one reason the nurse was glad things hadn't worked out with the Russian prince. But it was also a reason she was sad about it just the same. There was no need to tie her down. But there was no want to tie her down either.

"Matt, think about it from my point of view. I've lived my life the way I knew everyone in my family wanted me to. I gave up my dreams of becoming a writer to become a nurse. All because my family expected me to do it as part of the healing process of my father dying on that operating table. I never got to go to the places I wanted to see because I was living someone else's life. I didn't come here looking for a husband. I only really considered it that one time when Aunt Raylene died even though I thought it was because of someone needing my help. But I didn't want that life." Her head hung low. "I need the chance to be my own person before I can belong to somebody else. Try and do a couple of those things while I still can. On my own. For myself. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I get it. But I don't like it." He put his hands in the pocket of his jeans after putting up the ring he bought her. "Just promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"That when you are ready, you'll let me be the guy that makes an honest woman out of you."

A smile came to her flawless face.

"I think I that can be arranged."

They sealed that promise with a tender kiss.

There you go. I hope you all liked it. :)