A/N: This story takes place between "Sex, birth, death" and "No way out". Warning: potential spoilers for season 1 and 2.

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds – I do own my own characters.

- Thanks to a striking mind for beta reading this story.

- Please review: what did you like/dislike?? Any suggestions for future chapters?

Chapter 3: A long afternoon.

Time: Wednesday the 12th of January 2005.

Location: University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Back on the lab the next day, Mia and Dr. Milford was busy analysing the excavated bones from the day before.

Ned Thompson was right about one thing – this was three girls and they were all about 15-20 years old as his previous victims had been. But their identity was still a mystery. Luckily the teeth were well preserved from all three victims. They should able to compare bite marks from the victims with the dental cards from the three missing girls with some help from a forensic odontologist. But still a DNA analysis was a good idea.

"Okay. Let's send some samples from each of the victims to a DNA analysis to get a precise identification. Can you se to that Mia?" Dr. Milford said with a hand on the doorknob. Mia looked up from the microscope, rubbing her one score eye. "Sure thing, professor."

"Perfect, then I'll have to go. I have classes to attend to." With that he quickly grabbed this shoulder bag and half run out of the lab.

Mia made the telephone call and made sure the bones was thoroughly wrapped before a special delivery picked it up. Also she phoned the forensic odontologist Jacob Williams and made an appointment for later that day.

Then she went back to work. The skeletons each lay in anatomically order on three tables. The damage on the skulls was consistent with the other known victims as were the marks around the necks. Besides a few bite marks from foxes there was little else to say. This could be the three missing girls, as Ned Thompson claimed them to be.

Deciding she needed a break, she grabbed some coffee and sat down at her desk. She would start a report on the research so far on the three victims. This was to be given to the senior police officer when the investigation on the bodies was complete. And hopefully she would be able to include her observations on this case in her PhD.

Around noon there were a knock on the door frame followed by a "Hi there! I believe you have called for me once more? You just couldn't do without me for a whole day huh?" Mia looked up from her computer and saw Jacob standing there. Se laughed a little as he was saying that. "Yeah, something like that probably." She said as she moved towards the tables, gesturing him to follow.

As usual he was wearing blue jeans, sneakers and the obligatory white lab shirt. Its font pockets were stuffed with pencils and ball pens. He saw eagerly at Mia with his brown eyes while he tried to blow some of his short black hair away from his face.

"So, I take it that Dr. Milford already has filled you in on the case at hand?" Mia asked. Jacob nodded, taking dental cards and gear out from his bag. "Okay, then let's get this done". Mia stated keen to investigate this further. Jacob looked at her with a mischievously side glance. "You know, if I help you out, you owe me one right? Mia shook her head, laughing to herself. She knew where this was going. "…so technically you have to go out with me, you see?", Jacob finished. Mia has missed the major part of his reasoning lost in her thoughts about him and the case. Jacob was one of Mia's closet friends. He was a doctor in forensic odontology and worked with the police force in Knoxville. He was a person Mia held in very high regard, but couldn't imagine to date him. He was her good friend, the one she could always count on. That would be too weird. Also he was 32, way to old for her. A silent voice in her head kept telling her what she already knew though. That she went on spotting things that were wrong with men who liked her, so she wouldn't have to deal with it. After all, she was planning to return to Denmark after her finals, so it would be stupid to get involved in anything.

So she did like always, with a little laugh to ease the tension "Argh, don't be so technical, it doesn't suit you. I would always like to watch a movie with you, you know that. But forget about the dating thing. Anyway, you would be bored with me in the long run, listing to all my babbling about Stone Age, books and stuff." Mia tried acting easy about this, but couldn't fail to notice the hurt look in Jacobs's eyes. It went away as quickly as it came and left Mia with a frustrated feeling. She hated it… knowing she was responsible.

"I'll buy you coffee and cake as soon as we're done here!" Mia stated, trying once again to ease things up between them. She couldn't stand silent awkwardness.

"Okay, that's a date then!" Jacob said cheeky, bowing his head avoiding Mia's blow.

"This is going to be a long afternoon", Mia thought.