Disclaimer: this disclaimer applies to all of the chapters. All characters in Thunderbirds belong to Gerry Anderson. Any original, unrecognized character belongs to me and my imagination.

AN: Hey there! I'm back!

Sorry about the long wait. But it didn't seem that long to me. Oh well. I couldn't find anything on that trip, except for more plot twists and storylines…. Looks like that camp worked its miracles. LOL

I should probably let you know that I will be taking this story slower than my last two stories. In short, it will be a miracle if I upload more than one chapter every four or five days.

As promised, here is the sequel to Actions and Consequences. And without further ado, I present the first chapter of the story, Shaking Foundations.

Chapter One- Slip, Sliding Away

"Thunderbird Two, this is Thunderbird One. We have arrived at the rescue site. What's your ETA?" Scott barked into the com-link between him and Thunderbird Two.

"Thunderbird Two here. ETA: 6 minutes. What's the situation like, Scott?" Virgil asked.

Scott peered at the rescue site. "Things look pretty organised."

"That's good." Virgil sighed.

"Alan and I are going to unload Mobile Control now. When you land, you might want to set up a medical base, Tash. Chances are a lot of people have been injured." Scott instructed. "And Virgil, take your time; but hurry up."

Virgil choked back a laugh. "FAB Scott. See you soon."

Scott turned and faced an injured Alan (he had torn some muscles in his shoulder on a previous rescue), and started to unload Mobile Control.

The Thunderbirds had been called to mudslide in Wales. Heavy rain had saturated the soil, and made it unstable. The soil particles became loosely packed, and slid around, creating a mudslide. The mudslide had successfully demolished a row of houses, and took half a school with it.

"Please, don't let this take long." Alan muttered under his breath.

Scott looked up and stared at Alan.

"What?" Alan defended himself. "I'm anxious to get back to Tin-Tin."

Scott shook his head, and rolled his eyes, while biting back a smile.

"Don't give me that look." Alan said.

"What look?"

"THAT look."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Scott replied. "But, why are you so anxious to get back to Tin-Tin? You should be glad that you got out while you had the chance."

Alan rolled his eyes incredulously. "Scott, have you even been living on the Island for the past nine months? Just in case you've forgotten, my wife is expecting our first child in a few days, and I want to make sure she is alright. And I would have thought that you would be anxious to get back to base too."

"Alan, just because it is my anniversary, it doesn't mean that I want to rush this job so that I can get back." Scott fixed the last attachment to Mobile Control and contacted Thunderbird Two.

"ETA: 0.5 minutes." Virgil told Scott.

Virgil and Gordon approached Mobile Control once TB2 had landed.

"So, what's the plan?" Gordon asked.

"We know that there are people trapped in the mudslide, so Virgil and you go down on the harness, assess the situation, and get them out." Scott instructed.

"And what will you do, since Base Commander said Alan couldn't rescue people with his shoulder?" Virgil asked.

Scott glanced briefly at Alan. "Mobile Control, what am I doing?"

Alan tilted his head to the side. "Half a school is still standing on this land height, right?"

The three brothers nodded.

"You're going there then. Make sure the foundations are strong enough to anchor the remaining building. From the information John's been sending, I think another mudslide is imminent."

"FAB, Mobile Control." Scott mock-saluted, grabbed his safety gear and headed into the building.

Virgil and Gordon lowered themselves carefully down the unstable soil.

"There are seven houses in a row. Divide and conquer?" Virgil asked Gordon.

"You take four houses; I'll do the other three and half the school." Gordon planned, and Virgil nodded in agreement.

They both went their separate ways, sifting through debris and hoisting trapped civilians to safer and steadier land.

Scott manoeuvred through the torn building. He was almost certain that the whole building was structurally unstable.

"Scott calling Mobile Control."

"Mobile Control, receiving you loud and clear."

"The whole building is unstable. I'm coming back up, provided that there is no-one stuck under the debris."

"FAB Scott. Mobile Control out."

Scott shone his helmet lamp around the destructed building. He stopped, and his blue eyes focused in on a pile of rubble. He could have sworn he saw a child's hand mixed up under smashed bricks, rusted iron and splintered wood.

"Mobile Control, change of plans." Scott told Alan. "Civilians located under rubble. I'm going to get them out now."

"Scott, do you need any help? Virgil and Gordon told me that they have nearly finished. I can send one of them in there once they return."

"No, I should be fine, but thanks for the offer. Scott out."

Scott hastily pulled bits of rubble away from the heap of remains, and wiggled his way through a hole. He soon came across three children, one statue still, and the other two frightened out of their wits.

"Hey there," he smiled, trying to reassure them. "You OK?"

One timid nod replied. "I'm fine. Cindy isn't." He gestured to the still form of the child. "Will you get us out of here?"

Scott nodded determinedly. "Yes. Yes I will."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

One of the two children- a six year old boy- tilted his head to the left. "We're scared."

"Don't be. I've promised to get you out of here, and I will." Scott moved over to the unresponsive child, Cindy, and checked her life signs. He felt around for a pulse.

He couldn't find one. His gut clenched, and he swallowed painfully.

"I'm sorry." He murmured to the frozen form, and slid her eyelids closed.

Scott turned around and faced the two boys. "My main priority is to get you out of here." He ushered them through the hole, and let them carefully round the broken bricks and disintegrated wood. Finally, they reached the surface, and Scott handed the two boys over to the local authorities.

Scott was walking past Mobile Control, back to the school, when Alan grabbed him. "Scott, you're not going back in there."

"Yes I am." Scott countered.

"No, you're not!" Alan re-enforced. "It's too dangerous."

"Report me to Base Command then! There's another child trapped down there, and it is my duty to get her."

Scott turned away from Alan, and marched briskly to the school. He knew Alan was right. The school was too unstable. It could collapse at any moment. But, as a parent, he also knew that her parents wouldn't get any closure unless their child's body was returned to them.

Just as he picked up the girl's body, he felt the ground slide out from under his feet.

Alan stared in horror, as the school slid out of site. Scott was in there. Something forced him into action. He pushed several buttons on Mobile Control's display.

"Mobile Control to Scott." Alan paused, waiting for a response. "Mobile Control to Scott. Do you copy, Scott?"

Another slight pause.

"Dammit Scott! Answer me!" Alan yelled down the link.

There was an eerie silence.

AN: Will they find Scott? Is he dead or alive? Wasn't I mean to end the chapter there? Will I ever stop asking questions I know the answer to? Please read and review.