I'm not sure if the rain thing is canon or not. Either way, it's a nice thought, huh?


It doesn't rain on Gallifrey.

Leela misses the rain.

She misses the trickle of water as it runs down through her hair, soaking each strand and turning it into a wet mass that drapes around her shoulders as she stares up at the sky. She misses opening her mouth to taste the first few droplets, sweet and fresh as they slide down her throat. She misses the feel of wet grass underneath her feet, and she wants to dance in the rain again.

On Gallifrey- it's dry and dull.

She sometimes lies on her back outside the Capitol, watching the orange sky and hoping for a cloud- even the slightest wisp or sign that a storm may be coming. Nothing ever shows, but that doesn't stop her. She would do a rain dance- but she's not that kind of savage, no matter what the Time Lords may say.

Leela misses the rain.

She asked Romana why it was like this at one point. Romana had frowned, puzzled, and said that she really didn't know. It had Always Been That Way- which was something that Time Lords seemed to say a lot.

Time Lords smelled like Dust and History, and were wrapped up in their studies and politics and 'non-intervention policies'. Leela can't help but think that they should at least try to change. Change is good. Change keeps them fresh, and they don't understand that.

Leela misses the rain.

She has her friends- if you could call Braxiatel or Narvin 'friends'. Romana would say that they are 'acquaintances'- whatever that means. She doesn't understand these strange divisions the Time Lords make. Alliances and strategies. No matter what they say, they are a warlike race. Her 'friends' are always busy with politics and she just has K-9 and sometimes that is okay, but she gets lonely on some days. Those are the days that she goes to stare at the empty red sky.

Leela misses the rain.

And after Braxiatel is gone and Wynter is dead and K-9 has been destroyed and her world is falling apart, she sits outside the Capitol and doesn't exactly cry, but she comes very close. She lets her hair fall over her eyes even as she gazes upward to clouds, pleading quietly with the gods to give her some small comfort.

Some small comfort that is wet and cool and will fall from the sky like glitter, covering the Earth.

Leela buries her head in her arms and stares down at the orange grass that stretches out for miles from the Capitol and she almost doesn't notice when a tiny perfect bead of water falls onto her foot.

She stares at it for a moment, and picks it up with her fingertip, letting it trickle down her nails and onto the back of her hand. As it does, another falls, and another, and her leather tunic is becoming soaked. She throws her head back, and looks up at the sky, and the view is dizzying as the rain rushes towards her. She has water in her eyes and she isn't sure if it's from the rain or from happiness and she doesn't exactly care.

Leela laughs and laughs, spinning around with her arms thrown out wide as if to welcome the rain, to embrace it, and she turns around and Romana is standing there with a half-smile on her face. Leela rushes towards her friend and hugs her and for once the Time Lady doesn't resist.