Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26225812-20150707104315/@comment-24674051-20150713134509

Guys, we're overthinking things. (So, I'm going to overthink it some more. :) )

Rumplestiltskin was all about getting babies, and no one knows why. That was the original fairy tale.

Once's version of Rumple actually only goes after 2 babies. 1 was Alexandra, the other was the deal he made with Cora (which came straight from the Rumplestiltskin fairy tale). Although he was interested in Emma (Very Interested, in fact), he never actually tries to make a deal for her, just her name.

Throughout the series, Rumple is a deal maker and master manipulator, and he does not make ANY deal unless it has some significant benefit to him. He traded for a few strands of Snows Hair, David's cloak. and other seemingly random items. All as a part of some master plan, which was to get his Son back. This is speculation, but I think He knew he would need a 'guide' in the LWM once the curse was broken, and what better way than to have a bargaining chip to exchange for the favor.