Another very enjoyable part Sara. Once again, the Pete/Elle bit was very good.
She crossed her arms over her chest and waited. The little lines of concern across his forehead were almost endearing. Despite all her tensed up nerves, she had to bite back a smile.
I love the underlying threat that they like each other, but they just can’t quite acknowledge it fully.
"We have to, Pete," she told him softly. "I have to. For Joe. If I run away now, he'll have been killed for nothing. I just... I feel if I stay, do *something* to put a stop to all this, then I won't feel as if it were me who murdered him."
It seems Elle has quite a streak of nobility that is starting to show through.
She gulped. This was it. Do or die. And she was terrified it would be the latter.
To paraphrase a favorite author of mine: The suspense is terrible; I hope it will last.
He couldn't let himself think about anything else. Not the look on her face when he'd bared his soul before her, or the tears that had formed in her eyes at his words, or the way she'd launched herself at him, the feel of her lips against his, the surge of something indescribable inside him. He couldn't think about any of that because then he'd have to remember the way she'd pulled away slowly, searched his eyes for something she must not have found, and hastily moved away, stood up.
This was my favorite part in this post. I love the description of Clark’s soaring feeling at the onset of the kiss, and then the terrible sinking feeling when she moves away from him. The lines are so skillfully delivered; I am simply in awe.
The amount of feeling you are able to convey in under 100 words is amazing. Aside from the way it was written, the post also again touches on one of the central themes of the story: the damage to Clark’s (and Lois’) souls. He still can’t quite believe that he has a chance to be happy.
So she’d said. But then, people didn’t always mean what they said.
If only he’d found that out before he’d bared his soul and left himself even more vulnerable.
This is another line that made me feel so bad for Clark. (Another testament to the power and quality of the writing.)
Lois seized his shoulders for balance and kneed him in the crotch. He pitched forward, yelping on his way to the floor. She took her elbow to the back of his neck as he fell, hoping to knock him unconscious, or at least stun him long enough for Clark and her to get out. She held her breath for a second, praying that he wouldn't move, then she pushed the steel door open wide.
In a flash, she was back beside him and leading him down the hall, though she spared a second to grin back at him. "Let's get the hell out of here."
One thing I found interesting was that Clark’s POV focused on his misery at Lois’ perceived rejection of him. She does mumble something about escape to him, but he can’t accept that as the reason.
But, in Lois’ POV she is fully focused on how they can escape. This is a great illustration of the fact that our perceptions of people’s motives and reasons for doing what they do are not always accurate.
Wow. A lot has happened in this post. Can’t wait to see what develops.
-Em
I'm *so* glad you loved this passage because it was one I wrote, but I didn't have much else to put around it, and I had to fight to keep it in there. I'm glad it was worth it! 
