It actually would have made a whole lot more sense if Leela decided to stay on Gallifrey because she'd fallen in love with Rodan.
Of course, given the times that the story was broadcast, it was NOT gonna happen. But Leela and Rodan actually spend the bulk of the story together. They forge a genuine relationship and spend an unspecified amount of time outside the Time Lord citadel in the wild lands, perhaps the first significant amount of time Leela spends without the Doctor since they left her homeworld together. It's very plausible that Leela realized during this time that she could have a life away from her homeworld, AND away from the Doctor's aimless traveling.
They're an "opposites attract" couple, for sure. But they have a definite chemistry and rapport that Leela simply didn't have with Andred.
Well, it's just a thought I had. What do you think?
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