Steering rack and pinion boot leak

A while ago, I replaced the steering hoses, the tie rods, control arms and rack and pinion with brand new parts. I did my own alignment and we drove the car to Disney World and back. When we got home, I noticed the driver side steering boot had come loose (no clamp) and was filled with steering fluid. I examined the steering fluid reservoir. I was shocked: It was entirely empty. I cleaned the boot and put a zip tie on it (but the boot now looks weird and overly stretched). Four months later and zero leaks! So, the good part is I can't find leaks. The bad part: What happened? How did the steering fluid get into the boot and then nothing- no more leaks? Is there a relief valve that could have opened and then permanently closed? Did the loose boot cause the leakage? How?