Alt. Ending To "How It All Began"

Old Bones

Belial held a hand out for ruby as she moved to step out of the cab. She placed her hand in his, smiling up at him nervously.
"You excited to get back on stage?" He asked as he closed the cab door behind her as they stood outside his hotel. Hotel Pakao. It was a massive building with black brick and glass windows and red chromatic edgings. It reminded her of Lucifer's office door, just without the gold.
"Excited isn't the right word darling." She said nervously as he lead her inside, the door man tipping his hat to her as he opened the door, muttering a greeting to Belial.
"Don't be nervous ruby. You'll do great."
"That's not what I'm nervous about." She said softly, looking around the grand loby of the hotel. It was huge inside, lots of exotic plants in big garden planters and a large black fountain with golden flecks embedded into the black stone in the very center.
This was the first time ruby had ever gone inside the hotel, usually it was wheezy or dice that would go in to pick up the boys when Belial had them so she was a bit stunned by how similar the interior was to the casino. It was just missing the white marble floors and crushed velvet drapes.
She swallowed hard. The thought of the devil popping out and nabbing her filled her mind and as if he sensed her fear Belial moved to slip his arm around her shoulders. "Are you ok?" He asked.
"I'm fine." She lied as she let him lead her along. "Just...a lot on my mind." She said as she glanced around.
Belial opened his mouth to say something when a fimiliar old voice called out.
"Ruby? Ruby is that you?"
She paused their stride and turned to look back and see her oldest friend, Phear Lapp.
Her eyes widened and a large smile spread across her face. "Phear?!" She said excitedly before rushing forward toward him and throwing her arms around the old skeleton horse.
He hugged her back, smiling, "it's so good to see you Boss."
"Oh don't call me that anymore Phear. Just ruby." She said, pulling back and smiling up at him.
"Ruby then. By Satan you look great. Have you been in New York this whole time?"
She nodded. "Yep. Been here for the whole time. What about you?"
"Oh Piroetta and I have been here for almost five years."
"Piroetta is here too?"
He nodded and reached into his back pocket. "Yep. I when you gave us our contracts I finally had the courage to ask her out." He pulled out his wallet and opened it, a few black and white photos falling out in little holders to show them off, "we got married two years ago after we had our daughter."
There were pictures of her two friends holding a beautiful little golden skeleton horse girl with red and black freckles all over her little skull.
"Oh Phear that's wonderful! I wish I had pictures of the boys. I have two little ones now."
Phear smiled, "Yeah! The twins! Boss brings them by all the time." He said, gesturing to Belial who slipped an arm around ruby, smiling tightly.
"Boss? You work here?" She asked, looking up at Belial, her smile gone.
"Yeah Piroetta, me, the troop too. We all came over together and started working here five years ago." He said, putting his wallet away and rubbing the back of his neck.
"I can't believe you're all here... with Belial." She said, trying to regain her composure as a pit formed in her stomach.
Phear chuckled, seemingly nervous, "Yeah. New York just seemed like a good place to uh... well ya know. Hide." He said with a shrug.
"Yeah... lots of people. Hide in plain sight." She said, giving him a smile.
Belial cleared his throat. "Ruby dear. I think we should get you back stage to get you ready. Phear has work to do." He said, his eyes shining at Phear.
Phear nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you around ruby." He said before rushing off, leaving ruby with that nervous pit in her stomach, only now it was worse.
Belial lead her into the lounge and into the back stage area to let her get changed.
"I had one of my workers run and pick up a show gown for you." He said, gesturing to a garment bag drapped over a chair in the corner.
"If it doesn't fit or you don't like it just let someone know and they'll get it replaced." He said before looking at his watch. "There's two hours before your show. Take your time getting ready. Let someone know if you need anything. I have to run take care of some things before the show but I'll be there for it. Right down in front." He said, smiling down at her before taking her face in his hands and kissing her gently.
"I love you." He said softly.
"I love you too Belial." She said, her cheeks flushed, her heart pounding and her mind utterly racing as she watched him slip out the dressing room door and close it behind her.
She felt like she was gonna collapse. There were so many, too many things here that were so close to Lucifer it was uncanny. Could Belial be a love child of Lucifer's? The man had slept with a lot of women over the years... Surely at least one or two of them became mothers by him...
She sat down at the vanity and started getting ready, just as she used to as she mulled over the thought of Belial being Lucifer's child. Could that be? Wouldn't God strike any of his children from the wombs of women or was it just ruby he didn't want Lucifer to have children with? She had so many questions and no way of finding out the answers so desperately craved.